A Prescribing Improvement Initiative which ran from July 2020 to July 2021 in 47 out of the 50 GP Practices in Forth Valley delivered significant outcomes and efficiency savings despite the challenges of being delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Areas of prescribing were identified where medications which were no longer required were stopped or switched to more cost-effective options, allowing savings to be made and, at the same time, improving the quality of patient care. A total of 7,241 reviews were undertaken which resulted in 4,949 changes to medication. These changes were underpinned by updates to the NHS Forth Valley Formulary, in conjunction with specialists in secondary care, and were implemented by local GP Practices.The initiative was designed, implemented and monitored by the Primary Care Medicines Resource Group and coordinated by the Area Pharmacy and Prescribing Support Team, supported by the Corporate Portfolio Management Office. The achievements are testament to both the work carried out centrally to plan and support the initiative, and the commitment of local GP Practices and Pharmacy Teams in carrying out the prescribing-related switches.
