Flexible Funds - program consolidation

Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund

This page contains information on the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund

PDF printable version of Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund (PDF 10 KB)

The Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund consolidates the activities of six existing programs, and will provide a more flexible funding pool for the National Prescribing Service (NPS), and the National Return of Unwanted Medicines (NatRUM) program to continue to implement and manage initiatives, aimed at improving the quality use of medicines and medical services by health professionals and consumers.

The NPS will continue to run the Generic Medicines are an Equal Choice campaign as one component of its broader Be Medicinewise campaign, designed to educate and support consumers across a range of medicines issues, including pain management.

The activities of NPS and NatRUM provide independent, evidence based, advice and support to assist clinical management decisions and to improve the quality of prescribing, dispensing and disposal of medicines, and the use of diagnostic and pathology services. The department will continue to work closely with these organisations to ensure the benefits of this consolidation are realised, and the policy objectives of Government continue to be met, as required under the existing agreements that govern these activities.

The Government has allocated some $191 million over the next four years to the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund.

These Guidelines were approved by Minister Plibersek on 16 November 2012.
Flexible Fund Guidelines - Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund (PDF 217 KB)
Flexible Fund Guidelines - Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund (Word 373 KB)

Activities to be supported under the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Fund include those currently supported under:

• National Prescribing Service - PBS Community Awareness - RADAR
• National Prescribing Service - Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Program
• National Prescribing Service - Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Program - Consumer Education
• National Return of Disposal of Unwanted Medicines (NATRUM)
• To promote evidence based requesting for pathology and diagnostic services - NPS Diagnostic Imaging
• To promote evidence based requesting for pathology and diagnostic services - NPS Pathology