NPS MedicineWise , previously the National Prescribing Service ( NPS ), was an Australian not-for-profit prescribing and pharmaceutical information service. The NPS was founded in March 1998 and funded by the federal Department of Health and Aged Care under the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) grant. It provided practical tools, education programs, and evidence-based drug and therapeutics information to clinicians and patients, with the intention of improving the way health technologies, including how medicines and medical tests , are prescribed and used.
11-799: In March 2022, the Department of Health and Aged Care announced a plan to withdraw QUM funding of NPS MedicineWise as part of redesigning the QUM program and National Medicines Policy. The controversial decision resulted in NPS MedicineWise resources being handed over to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care , and related programs such as the Australian Prescriber journal and Choosing Wisely being externalised. NPS MedicineWise
22-677: Is involved in the national digital mental health standards and the cosmetic surgery reform efforts. The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHS Standards) are Australia's principal health care standards, and apply to all health services including inpatient, outpatient, and community care. There are 8 standards: Within each standard are a sub-set of rules and expectations. Health services are required to be assessed by an independent accreditor against these standards, and cannot deliver services without accreditation in most circumstances. The Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme (AHSSQA) Scheme operationalises
33-597: Is the national health care standards agency for all health services, general practices , pathology and medical imaging providers in Australia. The commission is part of the Health and Aged Care portfolio of the federal government , which is accountable to the minister for health, currently Mark Butler . The commission is jointly funded by the Australian Government, and state and territory governments. The commission
44-511: Is the pre-eminent quality use of medicines symposium held in Australia. Held every two years, the scientific program is designed to provide the latest and the controversial in the medicines and health environment and is delivered by international and nationally acclaimed experts. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care ( ACSQHC )
55-472: The active ingredient of medicines. Although NPS MedicineWise has brought wide-ranging savings to the Australian health system, critics have questioned the actual causes and ramifications of such savings. However, the savings reported by the organization are comprehensively evaluated and accepted by the government, demonstrating a clear correlation between NPS MedicineWise programs and improved prescribing. In
66-407: The medical community. Various health professionals argue that, despite potential conflicts between cost-saving and the organization's Quality Use of Medicines mandate, NPS Medicinewise will continue to improve on the current PBS system. NPS MedicineWise has also developed programs and resources to help consumers and health practitioners discuss health issues and improve the QUM within Australia. NMS
77-496: The period between 1998 and 2004, 90% of all GPs were actively involved in one or more educational activities run by NPS MedicineWise, while approximately sixty percent of GPs and pharmacists rated its printed educational materials as good or very good. NPS MedicineWise's activities have generated substantial financial savings for PBS, with the organization claiming that its information and education campaigns have reduced unnecessary prescriptions and improved prescribing decisions within
88-495: The prescription process. Since 2003, NPS MedicineWise has assumed a secondary mandate: promoting discussion of basic medicine-related issues in the community via consumer education programs and major award-winning campaigns, including Be Medicinewise Week , launched in January 2011. The campaign has been broadcast across a wide spectrum of media channels and addressed common health issues such as lower back pain , antibiotics , and
99-530: The standards by way of mandatory inspections, accreditation and reporting of health services in each state and territory. Independent organisations can apply to the commission to be an approved accrediting agency, and complete accreditations when engaged by health services as required. Services must receive initial accreditation to begin services, and receive full accreditation within 18 months. They will then be reaccredited at least once every three years. From 1 July 2023, short notice assessment began which reduced
110-711: Was first formed in 2006 and formalised in 2011 to delivery programs to improve health care received in Australia, primarily in the form of standards. The commission has developed national care standards for all health services (National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards), as well as more specific standards for general practices and allied health (Primary and Community Healthcare Standards), mental health services (Mental Health Standards for Community Managed Organisations), and clinical care delivered in aged care settings (Aged Care Quality Standards). The commission also develops and oversees two mandatory accreditation schemes for medical imaging services and pathology services, and
121-473: Was founded in 1998 as part of an Australian Government shift in health policy to address issues around Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). NPS MedicineWise' initial mandate was to reduce the cost of medicines to Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) by providing clinically reviewed independent information about medicines to doctors , pharmacists , and other health professionals . Many of these materials relate to new drugs or more complex grey areas in
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