ORCA: a new tool for the review of medication in asthma management

Abstract

Asthma care places a significant financial burden on the NHS at both national and local level. This article describes a rational method for the review of local asthma management called Optimising Resource Conflicts in Asthma (ORCA). ORCA is a tool that could be used by nurse prescribers to help ensure that their prescribing practice is both cost effective and accords with evidence-based asthma management, as outlined in the 2003 guidelines from the British Thoracic Society and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.

Neuropharmacology and mental health nurse prescribers

“…The extension of nurse prescribing was offered partly as a response to a number of policy documents produced by the Department of Health (DoH) which hoped to encourage the modernization of the National Health Service (NHS), advance nursing roles, improve nurse education, increase patient choice and improve access to services (DoH 1999, 2001, 2002a). Expenditure on drugs currently represents the largest proportion of UK NHS costs after staff (Chapman 2004). Approximately half of all prescriptions are taken incorrectly (Audit Commission 2001).…”

Nurse prescribers: who are they and how do they perceive their role?

“…Prescribing is a highly skilled activity. Expenditure on drugs currently represents the largest proportion of UK National Health Service (NHS) costs after staff (Chapman 2004). If this money is to be spent efficiently, the challenge is to identify which skills are required for effective prescribing and to promote concordance with medication regimes.…”