An evaluation framework for non-medical prescribing research

• Published in: Australian health review Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 224 - 228
• Main Authors: Hale, Andrew R, Stowasser, Danielle A, Coombes, Ian D, Stokes, Julie, Nissen, Lisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia CSIRO 01-01-2012
• Subjects: Australia; Collaboration; Community Pharmacy Services - manpower; Community Pharmacy Services - standards; Community Pharmacy Services - trends; Congresses as Topic; Drug Prescriptions - standards; Drug stores; Drugs; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Health administration; Health services; Health Services Research - methods; Health Services Research - organization & administration; Health Services Research - standards; Hospitals; Humans; Labor shortages; Medical personnel; Native North Americans; New Zealand; Patient safety; Pharmaceutical services; Pharmacists; Pharmacists - standards; Pharmacists - trends; Pharmacy Service, Hospital - manpower; Pharmacy Service, Hospital - standards; Pharmacy Service, Hospital - trends; Physicians; Pilots; Prescribing; Prescriptions; Research Personnel; Rural areas; Studies; Workforce; World Health Organization; New Zealand; Australia
• ISSN: 0156-5788; 1449-8944
• DOI: 10.1071/AH10986

Without robust and credible evidence for the benefits in health outcomes of non-medical prescribing, widespread implementation will be challenging. Our aim is to develop a consistent evaluation framework that could be applied to non-medical prescribing research. An informal collaboration was initiated in 2008 by a group of pharmacists from Australia and New Zealand to assist in information sharing, pilot design, methodologies and evaluation for pharmacist prescribing. Different pilots used different models, methodologies and evaluation. It was agreed that the development of a consistent evaluation framework to be applied to future research on non-medical prescribing was required. The framework would help to align the outcomes of different research pilots and enable the comparison of endpoints to determine the effectiveness of a non-medical prescribing intervention. This article presents the results of a workshop held at The University of Queensland in January 2009. Participants were asked to consider how to evaluate the effectiveness of different models of pharmacist prescribing.