 |
|
|
Consumers'
Association |
Drug and
Therapeutics Bulletin |
 |
|
|
|
Medicines
and the NHS: a guide for directors |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
uring 1997, the NPC and the Drug
and Therapeutics Bulletin/Consumers' Association discussed options for promoting greater
understanding of prescribing and related issues amongst senior NHS managers, for example,
health authority and trust executive and |
|
|
|
non-executive
directors. |
|
|
|
|
|
Agreement was reached
for a joint initiative whereby the NPC commissioned the writing and production, from the
D&TB, of an information pack entitled `Medicines and the NHS:
a guide for Directors' for this audience. The D&TB utilised the proven
skills of the Consumers' Association in presenting complex material for a non-professional
audience.
Work commenced in February 1997 and the pack was disseminated, by the NPC, to its
core audience in November 1997. The remaining packs were then put on open sale to
interested parties both within and beyond the NHS. The
pack has received considerable and continuing positive attention in both professional
journals and other health service related publications. Feedback from core audiences also
continues to be extremely positive. |
|
|
|
|
|
GP
Prescribing Support
|
|
|
 |
ollowing on from the successful
one-day conference, entitled `GP Prescribing _ Developing Professional Support' held in
April 1997, a working group was set up to consider how the information gathered as part of
the preparation for this event could be most effectively used. |
|
|
|
This working group was
multi-disciplinary with representation from across the medical and pharmaceutical
professions.
The group decided that a resource document should be produced to summarise the main types
of prescribing support initiatives identified as part of the pre-conference survey of
health authorities. Towards the end of 1997,
the NPC was approached by the NHS Executive to help produce a resource document covering
seventeen Department of Health funded projects looking at how pharmacists could support
GPs around effective medicine use. After consideration, it was jointly decided that a
resource document combining the information from both sources should be developed. |
|
|
|
|
