Quality use of medicines: what does it mean for you?

Jackson, Sharene A

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02175.x

Topics

The 2008 National Medicines Symposium examined the science, policy and practice of quality use of medicines

The concept of quality use of medicines (QUM)1 was developed in Australia in the early 1990s to promote and support judicious, appropriate, safe and effective use of medicines, including prescription, non-prescription and complementary medicines. The QUM strategy is based on a partnership between consumers, health professionals, the medicines industry and government.

Information Design and Management, National Prescribing Service Limited, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: sjackson@nps.org.au

Competing interests:

None identified.

1. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The national strategy for quality use of medicines. Plain English edition. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2002. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/CA777524C860DFF2CA256F1800468B61/$File/natstrateng.pdf (accessed Sep 2008).
2. National Prescribing Service. National consumer survey 2006: final report. Sydney: NPS, 2006.
3. MacLennan AH, Myers SP, Taylor AW. The continuing use of complementary and alternative medicine in South Australia: costs and beliefs in 2004. Med J Aust 2006; 184: 27-31. <MJA full text>

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