Recreating NPS MedicineWise
NPS MedicineWise
NPS MedicineWise will cease all operations on 31 December 2022. This follows the decision by the Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler, to continue with the redesign of the Quality Use of Therapeutics, Diagnostics and Pathology (QUTDP) Program announced in the March 2022 Federal Budget.
Under the redesign, from 1 January 2023, NPS MedicineWise will no longer receive grant funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care to deliver Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) functions. The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) will take on core QUM ‘stewardship’ functions while education programs for health professionals and consumers will move to contestable funding.
This represents the end of an era for Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Programs in Australia, during which NPS MedicineWise has had a profound impact on the Australian health sector.
NPS MedicineWise was established in 1998 as an independent organisation to promote the QUM, supporting Australians to make safe and wise decisions about medicines and other health technologies.
- Our philosophy: Independent. Not-for-profit. Evidence-based. Consumer-centred.
- Our vision: Improve the health of Australians.
- Our mission: Improve health through safe and wise use of medicines and other health technologies.
Through Commonwealth Government funding, NPS MedicineWise:
- Delivered nationally coordinated, locally implemented programs that addressed critical medicine-related issues and achieved demonstrable improvements in health outcomes for Australians.
- Improved medicine use and management, and improvements in patient care and health outcomes for people most at risk of medication-related harm.
- Delivered a net return on investment of greater than 2:1 to the Government, through the achievement of over $1.1 billion in direct savings for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medicare Benefits Schedule.
- Worked collaboratively across the sector, partnering with key organisations to deliver on important QUM programs.
- Genuinely engaged with consumers, communities, and consumer organisations to develop programs, products and services.
History
Our journey
In the 1990s, Australia was one of the few developed countries with a comprehensive national medicines policy, due in large part to a very strong consumer movement. At the core of this policy is the concept of quality use of medicines—medicines use that is judicious, appropriate, safe and effective.
NPS MedicineWise (formerly National Prescribing Service) began as an independent public company in March 1998. While largely funded by the Australian Government, we operated with an independent governance structure and member organisations representing the peak bodies for consumers, health professionals, the pharmaceutical sector, government and health care providers. This model allowed us to work in synergistic, connected and collaborative ways across the health sector to improve health outcomes.
Driving change in practice nationwide: a model that works
From the outset NPS MedicineWise looked to the evidence and developed strong relationships with general practitioners around Australia. In 1999 NPS MedicineWise began peer educational visiting to GPs. In 24 years, over 480,000 educational visits were conducted by our educational visitors bringing about positive differences to prescribing decisions. More recently, we developed and delivered programs for specialists and aged care audiences.
What we achieved
The first NPS News was published in 1998: this was then expanded to Medicinewise News, RADAR and Australian Prescriber which all became essential reading for health professionals.
Since 2009, NPS MedicineWise extended its evidence-based approach to improving decision making around medicines and medical tests and other technologies. Our first medical test program—on imaging for low back pain—rolled out nationally in 2010 and since then thousands of health professionals have participated in our medical test programs.
Medimate was launched in 2004 as a paper-based resource to help consumers understand and ask questions about their medicines. The same concepts were encapsulated in the MedicineWise App.
Launched in 2015, Choosing Wisely Australia—facilitated by NPS MedicineWise and led by Australia’s medical colleges and societies—encouraged a national conversation and provided a catalyst for reducing low-value health care in Australia.
The MedicineInsight primary care clinical data program provided valuable insights into primary health care. Insights from the data enhance our programs for general practice, provide post-marketing surveillance of medicines, and support policy makers, regulators and health service providers to develop evidence-based health policy and achieve optimal patient outcomes.
We offered a wide range of online courses for students and health professionals attracting thousands of participants each year.
24 years of impact
Since the publication of the first evaluation report in 1999, our programs were rigorously evaluated with our evaluation framework. We were able to measure health outcomes and effectiveness, while continuing to demonstrate changes in drug and medical test utilisation in line with quality use.
Special thanks
Over the past 24 years, NPS MedicineWise has been privileged to work with so many of our member organisations and partners to Australia’s National Medicines Policy to improve the use of medicines and medical tests for better health and economic outcomes for all Australians. To our members and the many individuals and champions of quality use of medicines who have contributed their time and expertise to our establishment and our programs, our partners and collaborators, and our customers, we extend our gratitude. Thank you for coming on this journey with us.
24 years' promoting quality use of medicines for Australians
Insert 20th anniversary video
LinkedIn videos
Publications and Media
Annual reports
Media releases
NPS MedicineWise to cease operations after 24 years
NPS MedicineWise welcomes Labor commitment to review quality use of medicines decision
NPS MedicineWise calls for review of quality use of medicines funding decision
Statement on transitioning of NPS MedicineWise programs and services
'‘A regrettable decision that should be reconsidered – on the demise of NPS MedicineWise''
"Health consumers give thumbs down to Government’s move against NPS MedicineWise"
"NPS MedicineWise: 20 years of Change"
Quotes
‘NPS MedicineWise is one of the very few independent, unbiased sources of information available to health practitioners. I turn to NPS MedicineWise for my own education and I also rely on the NPS MedicineWise resources to educate medical students regarding safe and ethical use of medicines’
‘Unlike most other sources of information regarding medication, the NPS MedicineWise resources consider the holistic management of health rather than focussing on pharmacotherapy alone’
‘NPS MedicineWise is my go-to objective, balanced and credible medical information site that I rely upon to keep me up to date’