Big idea - Supporting Self-care - Use of a decision aid in prescribing decisions (2018)

Bexley CCG

What is your idea attempting to tackle or improve?

The decision aid was created was to support prescribers/clinicians:

• in advising patients appropriately on self-care
• implementing the NHSE guidance to CCGs - Conditions for which OTC items should not be routinely prescribed in primary care
• in having a consistent prescribing policy among prescribers in the same practice

What would need to be done to implement the idea?

The resource required dissemination to all prescribers in the CCG. We tackled this through a communication plan targeting the following channels:

• GP Engagement event
• Monthly locality meetings
• Via CCG newsletter and medicines management bulletin
• Raising awareness of resource when responding to prescriber queries related to prescribing of OTC items
• Practice visits via the medicines management team

Who would benefit from this project and how?

All prescribers and practice staff dealing with prescription requests/generation will benefit from the resource as it will help them determine if a request for a product is appropriate or if the condition is suitable for self-care. It is also a useful resource to raise awareness of not routinely prescribing OTC items in primary care, to all members of the GP practice(s).

What outcomes would you hope to achieve, and how would you measure them?

Outcomes:

• Appropriate prescribing of drugs/medicines by GPs/prescribers
• Reduction in spend of medicines relating to OTC prescribing
• Raised awareness of self-care and OTC prescribing policy in NHS Bexley CCG, by local patients

Measures:

• No. of enquiries received by medicines management relating to prescribing of medicines/drugs classed as OTC/for self-care
• Use of the PrescQIPP data on conditions for which OTC items should not be prescribed to track practice spend per ASTRO-PU on OTC medicines
• No. of enquiries received by the Patient Experience Team regarding self-care/OTC items prescribing

What resources would be required to deliver this?

No additional resources are required, making this idea cost-effective to implement.

The decision aid can be disseminated through existing communication channels of any CCG.

Additionally, it can be incorporated into any practice-facing meeting/performance discussion and the practice can use it as part of their internal meetings. Therefore, the resource can easily be adopted by any CCG or practice.