PrescQIPP

Improving engagement with OptimiseRx through inclusion in Prescribing Scheme (2025)

Surrey Heartlands ICB

Project summary

OptimiseRx is a prescribing support tool which can be used to deliver cost savings while driving up the quality of prescribing. Surrey Heartlands Medicines Optimisation team has commissioned the use of OptimiseRx for the GP practices for the last few years. Having noticed a decline in the acceptance rate of best practice messages on OptimiseRx during 23/24 we wanted to re-engage practices with the prescribing support tool so included it in our prescribing scheme.

The aim of the project was to:

  1. Increase acceptance rates for cost saving and best practice messages either by 3% or to reach national average target. This would in turn increase safe and cost-effective prescribing. 
  2. Increase documentation of rejection reasons – target 30% of rejected messages to have a reason documented. This allows better analysis of how messages are performing, allowing us to identify themes of why certain messages are rejected. We could then use this information to tailor the profile – amending rule logic in messages, switching off messages to reduce message fatigue, liaising with trusts to promote preferred products.

The baseline national acceptance rate for best practice messages for 23/24 was 16.86% whilst Surrey Heartland’s acceptance rate was 14.35%. By the end of the Prescribing Scheme, we had seen an increase in our acceptance rate of 1.94%. By the end of the Scheme, 63% of Practices had reached the national target or increased by 3% (baseline 37% of practices). For the last 8 months the Surrey Heartlands best practice average acceptance rate has been higher than the corresponding monthly national average. Over the year the national average has fallen (16.86% to 16.57%) but our average still increased (14.35% to 16.29%).

The baseline national acceptance rate for actualised cost saving messages for 23/24 was 26.45% whilst Surrey Heartland’s acceptance rate was 21.66%. By the end of the Prescribing Scheme, we had seen an increase in our acceptance rate of 1.21%. By the end of the Scheme 61% of practices had reached the national target or increased by 3% (baseline 49%). We are still below the national average for cost saving messages, however our savings still rose from £1,930,085 in 23/24 to £2,293,421 in 24/25. Our Medicines Optimisation team do a lot of switches in practice which will not be captured by OptimiseRx.

The average % of rejected messages with a reason documented prior to the prescribing scheme was 9.5% (range 35.1% - 0.5%). At the end of the scheme this rose to 20.3% (range 64% - 1.7%).

This has helped to achieve our aims to improve safe and cost-effective prescribing which has a benefit for patients, GP practices and the ICB and improve medicines optimisation.