An HSJ roundtable, in association with Spirit Health, discussed the challenges and strategies for optimising prescribing practices, improving cost management, and fostering better collaboration within integrated care systems
The NHS often thinks in terms of containing costs around primary care prescribing but focusing on getting the best value out of the money spent may offer a way to build engagement with GPs.
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While GPs want to do the best for their patients, choosing a cheaper option which delivers the same quality and reducing waste enables them to do that while also reducing costs – and could free up money to deliver other things they value.
Whether integrated care boards are able to make a difference will depend on how they can influence thousands of daily decisions made in the consulting room. An HSJ roundtable, in association with Spirit Health, looked at some of the challenges and how different areas are tackling them.
Read the detailed report here.
Panellists
- Vanessa Burgess, chief pharmacist, South East London ICB
- Peter Cope, head of medicines optimisation, Dorset ICB
- Priscilla Kankam, deputy director for medicines optimisation, Kent and Medway ICB
- Zak McMurray, medical director (Sheffield), South Yorkshire ICB
- Tase Oputu, chair, English Pharmacy Board, Royal Pharmaceutical Society and associate director of medicines optimisation for high-cost drugs at Kent and Medway ICB
- Hitesh Patel, pharmaceutical adviser for Dudley Integrated Care Trust and a lead pharmacist for a primary care network
- Duncan Richardson, head of service delivery – medicines optimisation, Spirit Health
- Alison Moore, HSJ correspondent, roundtable chair
