UK Guidelines For Prescribing Support System

In February 1996, the UK Department of Health asked the Association ofthe British Pharmaceutical Industry, as part of the National Health Service's PRODIGY (Prescribing Rationally with Decision Support in General Practice) initiative, to give its views on how national guidelines for prescribing support systems in primary care should be developed. To this end, the ABPI commissioned a report from the Deloitte & Touche Consulting group.

This report concluded that an independent body should be established to ensure the development and use of high-quality clinical guidelines (as reported briefly in Marketletter December 9).

It also made clear that there exists a need both for further research on clinical guidelines and their impact on the quality of care in the UK, and for funding some form of recognized body with expertise in the field of guideline development, review and implementation.