Category: Medicines Management

Patient Safety Incident Reporting Forms for submitting and reviewing patient safety incident reports
2010 Annual Report Pharmaceutical & Laboratory Test Utilisation August 2010 This is not an audit but a stand alone report. This web version is a sample only , all data below the national level has been omitted.
QUIZ FEEDBACK: Medication errors/Cough and cold in children from ‘best practice’ July 2010 Feedback on the responses to the Medication errors/Cough and cold in children quiz.
Do cough and cold medicines work in children? from ‘best practice’ July 2010 The short answer is no. There is little evidence that cough and cold preparations have any clinically significant effect on reducing the symptoms or duration of the common cold in children. Most of these preparations contain medicines that are not recommended for use in children aged under six years. Recommended care of a child with the common cold includes simple analgesia, saline spray for nasal congestion in younger children and symptomatic care including maintaining a “healthy home environment”.
Immunisation in children by age two years from ‘best practice’ July 2010 An important focus of the PHO Performance Programme is to ensure that all children in New Zealand are receiving their necessary immunisations, by the recommended age milestones. A small proportion of children are not currently being immunised and it is important to identify the reasons for this and to find solutions to address this disparity. Barriers include healthcare system factors e.g. access to appropriate services, healthcare provider factors e.g. inadequate communication and perhaps most importantly, parent/carer factors e.g. fears and misconceptions.
Upfront from ‘best practice’ July 2010 Health professionals are human too: making mistakes in general practice Patient safety incident reporting in general practice
Best Tests July 2010 The Use of Screening Tests Appropriate Use of Tumour Markers PSA Screening in Asymptomatic Men Bowel Cancer Screening in New Zealand QUIZ FEEDBACK: Investigating the Gut
Best Tests: The use of screening tests July 2010 An overview of screening test in primary health care
Best Tests: Appropriate use of tumour markers July 2010 The key role for tumour marker tests is in managing patients with established malignancy. Tumour markers are not indicated as screening tests in primary care.
Best Tests: PSA screening in asymptomatic men July 2010 Screening for prostate cancer using PSA testing remains contraversial in New Zealand.