Sheffield GPs Use Technology To Make Prescribing Safer, England

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail;  Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 11 Nov 2008 - 3:00 PST

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Sheffield GPs are set to make prescribing drugs safer, with an innovative new software programme called 'Scriptswitch'. The news comes after a report* published last week claimed over-the-counter and prescribed drugs, such as anti-depressants and painkillers, are involved in almost one third of fatal overdoses.

Introduced by the Central Sheffield GP Consortium, Scriptswitch works by providing the prescriber with up-to-date information about the safety and cost-efficiency of medication, ensuring they give the patients only the appropriate amount and type of drugs.

Michelle Wilde, Practice Manager at Manor Top Surgery, Sheffield said: "Scriptswitch is a pioneering technology that will develop cost-effective and quality prescribing across Practices in Sheffield.

"It will provide up-to-date information and official guidelines that the prescriber can see at the touch of a button, as they are administering medication for patients. This way, they can make well informed choice about what is the safest and most cost-effective medication in each case."

The GP Consortium, which was launched in August 2006, brings GP practices together to develop innovative solutions to improve the quality and delivery of medical services within the community.

Scriptswitch is the latest in a series of prescribing initiatives brought in by the Consortium, designed to improve the quality of healthcare for patients in Sheffield and help remove health inequalities across the city.

Michelle added: "By working alongside nurses, pharmacists and GP's in Sheffield, we've come up with solutions and ideas that can help improve prescribing across the city, such as using the Scriptswitch programme.

"In turn, we've managed to save thousands of pounds, providing the Consortium with a huge boost that will allow us to fund more innovative schemes across a variety of areas including mental health, diabetes, obstetrics and outpatient referral management."

* Reference: Click here.

Notes

- Commissioning is the process of identifying the health needs of the population and making prioritised decisions to secure care to meet those needs within the available resources

- The Central Sheffield GP Consortium is a group of doctors' surgeries working together to make healthcare in the city better.

- Founded in August 2006, the group is made up of 27 practices, who act as one to identify ways to improve access to, and standards of, healthcare services for patients.

- The Consortium has the majority of inner city GP practices within Sheffield with high levels of deprivation, chronic disease and social need and works to develop innovative solutions to improve the quality and levels of care within its local community.

- The Consortium is committed to reducing health inequalities and actively seeks the views of clinicians, nurses and patients in redesigning local health services.

The Central Sheffield GP Consortium