Improving Practice Processes

Making Prescribing Efficiencies

Facilitator: Practice Manager/ lead GP

1.     Prior to session – review practice prescribing information that has been provided by the Prescribing Support Team

2.     Outcomes – whole team discuss what you want to get out of session (15 mins) eg

a.     Identify a number of areas where the practice prescribing is higher than the FV average and requires review

b.     Identify areas where formulary compliance could be improved

c.     Identify areas where technical switches could be maximised

d.     Establish roles for individuals in the practice to take forward prescribing efficiencies work

3.     Review of Current Processes – (30mins)

a.     Prescribing cost/patient figures

b.     Overall spend

c.     Generic prescribing

d.     Technical switches

e.     QOF formulary management prescribing targets for this year (not just the one you have chosen)

f.     High value medicines letters

g.     SMC not-recommended medicines letters

4.     Identify High Spend Areas – one group – get everyone to put up 2 ideas each of areas where savings could be made.  Discuss which areas you feel as a practice you may be unnecessarily over spending and why?  Areas to consider may be antibiotic prescribing, statin use, analgesia choices, dressings, nutritional supplements, antidepressant choices, PPI use etc.  At this point you will need to consider local and SIGN guidelines.(30mins)

5.     Break (15 mins)

6.     How to Improve Prescribing – Choose one or two areas (30 mins)

a.     Identify best practice

b.     Discuss how you are going to implement

c.     Create new advice sheets or protocols

7.     Summarise

a.     r/v outcomes (did you achieve what was in 2)

8.     Evaluation

a.     What have you learned today?

b.     What are you going to do now, as result of this session?

c.     And by when

TIPS

·     Get 2 neighbouring practices together to share ideas