NPS - National Prescribing Service

These National Prescribing Service (NPS) workshops are recognised by the Quality Prescribing Initiative of the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) and can be accredited as one of the 3 mandatory items needed to qualify for the PIP payment.

1. Find Evidence – Recognising Hype introduction to online learning program for GP’s

This workshop provides an opportunity for prescribers to improve their skills in identifying the information they need to make evidence-based decisions about new medicines.
There are 3 activities:
• Reflection on questions prescribers have about new medicines
• Small group examination of an advertisement for a new medicine
• Discussion about efficient ways of finding out about new medicines, satisfaction with current methods, knowledge of independent sources of information, and barriers to accessing these sources.
At the end of the workshop, participants will be provided with a list of Australian, independent sources of information that support decision-making about medicines.

Gwen Higgins

Supported by NPS (National Prescribing Service)

2. Maximising Sleep while minimising harms from Benzopiazepine

Between 2006-08, 80% of GP encounters for sleep disorders were for insomnia. This workshop will address best practice in the management of insomnia including:
• The role of cognitive/behavioural therapies as first line management in patients with insomnia
• Use of hypnotic medicines in management of insomnia with patients
• Discontinuation strategies in patients using long-term hypnotic medicines

Dr Roshmeen Azam, Dr Ashutosh Todkar

Supported by NPS (National Prescribing Service)

3. Therapeutic choices for Menopausal Symptoms

 
At the completion of this divisional case scenario discussion, participating general practitioners will be able to:
• consider the factors contributing to individualised decision-making on whether to use oestrogen with or without progestogen therapy
• discuss the potential benefits and harms related to oestrogen with or without progestogen therapy
• describe the role of alternatives to oestrogen with or without progestogen therapy for relief of menopausal symptoms.

Supported by NPS (National Prescribing Service)