update – Bringing you the news that affects your practice
DH launches new drugs
in your practice
caMpaigns
The DH has launched a
pricing scheme
national campaign to raise
awareness of Stroke, the
third leading cause of death
in England. The campaign will
A new pricing scheme has been teach the public and practice
agreed by the Department of staff to remember FAST –
Health with the pharmaceutical Face, Arm, Speech, Time to
industry. call 999, and recognise the
symptoms of stroke. It is part
From February this year, a 3.9% of the National Stroke Strategy
price cut will be introduced on launched by health minister
all branded drugs; this will be Ann Keen last year. Visit: www.
followed by a further 1.9% cut dh.gov.uk/en/
in 2010. According to the DH,
lowering the price of branded take action
drugs will give patients faster
atkins/Science Photo Library
The DH has launched a
access to new medicines. “Know Your Limits” campaign
to raise awareness of heavy
The move is part of the Emmeline W drinking. According to the
Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Tipping the balance – the DH cuts drugs prices DH, a poll of 2,000 people
Scheme, which will also see revealed that almost two in five
the introduction of generic for prescribing decisions and for clinical reasons. For further people who drink excessively
substitution in 2010. Prescribing will be able to decide where a updates visit: www.dh.gov.uk/en/ lie to their doctors about it.
clinicians will retain responsibility branded drug must be dispensed publicationsandstatistics Visit the DH’s website to find
out about alcohol misuse
RCGP not extending membership
programmes and how you
can contribute. Visit: www.
dh.gov.uk/en/publichealth/
The RCGP is not extending managers and nurses in healthimprovement
its membership to practice
RCGP
particular. If you take, for
managers and nurses, despite example, the pandemic flu guidance
recent reports to the contrary. guidance that the college and Check out the latest GP2GP
the BMA launched in January, safety guidance, which is
Only general medical practice managers are going to designed to give practices
practitioners can be members be critical in raising awareness confidence when transferring
of the college; according to the of this. So we are looking at how electronic health records
RCGP’s royal charter, this does we can involve other members securely. It was produced by
not include members of the of the practice team more national clinical safety experts
practice team. effectively in the future.” and is endorsed by the Joint
Dr Colin Hunt
GP IT Committee. Visit: www.
Dr Colin Hunt, honorary treasurer The RCGP is producing a connectingforhealth.nhs.uk
at the RCGP, said: “Somebody changes to the new contract, preliminary piece on how
picked up the idea that the college it has become apparent to the educational resources can be useful links
was extending its membership; college that supporting other produced based on the findings Casebook, MPS’s signature
it isn’t. But it is looking at how members of the practice team, of three sub-groups, who are journal, is now available as
we produce some educational through education, would specifically looking at practice a digital edition, with new
resources that could support enhance the quality of delivery management, nurses and turning-page technology
nursing and management. in primary care.” physician assistants. and a zoom tool. Access
the January edition at: www.
“In our discussions around the Dr Hunt added: “We’re looking For more information on how medicalprotection.org/uk/
implementation of the Darzi at extending our educational the RCGP’s plans will materialise education-publications
proposals and because of frontier to involve practice visit: www.rcgp.org.uk
www.mps.org.uk YOUR PRACTICE VOL. 3 NO. 1, 2009 5
YP07 pp04-05.indd 5 3/2/09 14:09:28
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