Keith Crump

What is Quality Prescribing

Matching medicines with patient needs
The busy practitioner is faced with a multiple of medicines related decision points many times within a busy working day. Are there methodologies that support the practitioner to enable these decisions to form a greater quality prescribing matrix?

The definition of quality prescribing depends on the perspective of the audience. Patients would expect that quality prescribing would be associated with the safe use of medicines with minimal adverse events, tangible benefits that may include improved quality of life, greater longevity and reduction of symptoms. To the practitioner quality use of medicines may also include better management of disease states, improved health outcomes and ensuring that treatment follows best practice guidance. The healthcare funder quality prescribing may include targeting diseases states, optimising medicines and rationalising prescribing. 

This session will cover:
• Managing Risk.
• Reviewing the Use of Some Medicines
• Treating the Patient
• What are the priorities?

Recommendations
• Have a regular list of preferred medicines.
• Work on the simplest solution first.
• In patients with multiple medicines prescribing more may not be the best intervention.
• Review medicines on an ongoing basis.

Keith first trained as a psychiatric nurse in the 1970’s and later retrained as a pharmacist.  He then took on roles in a variety of settings, as a Mental Health Pharmacist in both Auckland and Wellington. 

Keith started working in the primary health sector in the Waikato and Auckland in 2000.  In 2003 he became an Honouree Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland and a Tutor at Otago University (Post Graduate) 2004.  In 2006 Keith was appointed to the Pharmacy Council. 

He is currently working in Funding and Planning at the WDHB as a Pharmacy Project Manager covering Quality Use of Medicines and Mental Health Pharmacist.  He is also studying towards a Post Grad Diplomas in Population Health through the University of Auckland.