NPS MedicineWise and Choosing Wisely Australia

Improving use of medicines and medical tests

Groups related to this event

Centre for Health Informatics

Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research

Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science

Event date

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

NPS MedicineWise has been working nationally since 1998 to improve the use of medicines and medical tests. By using evidence based interventions based on social marketing and behaviour change principles it delivers meaningful and actionable information to improve practice. Their strong evaluation program has demonstrated millions of dollars in saving for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, improvements in health outcomes for people with chronic diseases and better informed clinicians and consumers.

Recently as the Australian coordinators for Choosing Wisely, NPS MedicineWise has worked with medical colleges and societies to start a conversation about low value care, waste and potentially harmful tests, procedures and treatments. This adapts the US experience to the Australian context and promotes a clinician led movement for appropriate allocation of precious health resources.

Speaker profile

Dr Lynn Weekes

As inaugural chief executive officer of NPS MedicineWise, Lynn has contributed significantly to the development of quality use of medicines (QUM) resources and services for health professionals and consumers in Australia since 1998. In the 2013 Queen's Birthday honours Lynn was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to Australian community health through the promotion of quality use of medicines. With her expertise in the QUM area Lynn sits, by invitation, on various national boards and committees from government, pharmacy and academic sectors. As part of her PhD thesis, Organisational Structures to Promote Quality Use of Medicines, Lynn developed indicators for QUM for drug and therapeutics committees and for hospitals more generally. She has a strong professional interest in quality assurance, behaviour change and pharmacoepidemiology. Prior to Lynn's appointment to NPS MedicineWise, she was executive officer of NSW Therapeutic Assessment Group where she was involved in drug use practice, evaluation and policy. She originally trained as a pharmacist and practised in hospital and research settings.

Date: Wednesday 1 July

Time: 11.00am – 12 noon

Venue: Level 3, 75 Talavera Road

Chairperson: Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite