National Prescribing Indicators 2019-2020
The National Prescribing Indicators for 2019–2020 have been prepared by a multiprofessional collaborative group, with support from the All Wales Prescribing Advisory Group (AWPAG) and the All Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre (AWTTC), and subsequently endorsed by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) at their February 2019 meeting.
National Prescribing Indicators (NPIs) are developed annually with the aim of promoting rational prescribing. The indicators are evidence-based and are designed to be clear, easily understood and allow health boards, primary care clusters, GP practices and prescribers to compare current prescribing practice against an agreed standard of quality.
The NPIs for 2019–2020 comprise eleven measures, each of which has been organised into one of three categories with a focus on safety, stewardship or efficiency. The new or updated NPIs for 2019–2020 include:
- Monitoring of sodium valproate prescribing in female patients aged 14–45 has been added to the Prescribing Safety Indicators
- Proton pump inhibitor indicator has been moved from the Efficiency category to the Safety category
- Opioid burden measure has been added as part of the Analgesics indicator.
The National Prescribing Indicators document provides detailed background information and evidence to support the aims of each indicator, and is available here:
National Prescribing Indicators 2019–2020.
In addition to the main NPI document, a concise summary of the NPIs has also been published, entitled
Supporting Information for Prescribers and Healthcare Professionals. The document contains a brief overview of each NPI, including purpose, units of measure, brief rationale and prescribing points, and links to useful resources:
National Prescribing Indicators 2019–2020: Supporting Information for Prescribers and Healthcare Professionals.