Good for you, good for us, good for everybody: National overprescribing review report (22 September 2021)

Summary

The government commissioned Dr Keith Ridge, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer for England, to lead a review into the use of medication and overprescribing.

Content

Overprescribing can happen when:

• a better alternative is available but not given
• the medicine is appropriate for a condition but not the individual patient
• a condition changes and the medicine is no longer appropriate
• the patient no longer needs the medicine but continues to be prescribed it.

This independent review was guided by a short life working group (SLWG), which brought together senior stakeholders from across the healthcare system, together with patient and third sector representation. It looked at reducing inappropriate prescribing, with a particular focus on the role of digital technologies, research, culture change and social prescribing, repeat prescribing and transfer of care.

The review sets out a series of practical and cultural changes to ensure patients are receiving the most appropriate treatment for their needs while ensuring clinicians’ time is well spent and taxpayer money is spent wisely. This includes better use of technology, how to review prescriptions more effectively, and how to offer alternatives to medicines where they would be more effective.

Chief pharmaceutical officer for England, Dr Keith Ridge, said: "Medicines do people a lot of good and this report is absolutely not about taking treatment or services away from people where they are effective. But medicines can also cause harm and can be wasted."

Further reading on the hub:

• Safe prescribing of medicines – are all prescribers following the National Competency Framework?
• NHS England: Support for prescribers
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society: Revised Competency Framework for all Prescribers