Somatisation: demystifying the “ghost in the machine”

Somatisation is a maladaptive functioning of an organ system,...

Motivational interviewing in primary care

Motivational Interviewing is a way of building and strengthening...

Could improvement science be the game changer for quality improvement in primary care?

With increasing health care costs, an ageing population, new...

Oxycodone prescribing: New Zealand solutions to a global problem

Inappropriate prescribing of opioids for non-cancer pain is...

Upfront: Tips for prescribing newly-subsidised medicines for patients with COPD

In March, 2016, subsidy changes came into effect for medicines...

The COPD prescribing tool

This tool provides pharmacological treatment options for patients...

Asthma in primary care

Updated asthma guidelines are expected to be released later...

Use the New Zealand Formulary to access patient information leaflets

Patient information leaflets (PILs) are now available from the...

Hazards to Health: e-notification to your Medical Officer of Health

An electronic notification system has been designed for general...

Oxycodone Update

This report provides an update on the use of oxycodone over...

Piles of pills: Prescribing appropriate quantities of medicines

Using the NZF Interactions Checker

The New Zealand Formulary (NZF) contains a function that identifies...

2015 Annual Practice Report - Pharmaceutical Utilisation

This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to...

Upfront: An avoidable death: the importance of communication in clinical care

The following treatment injury case study was prepared by the...

Piles of pills: Prescribing appropriate quantities of medicines

Medicine wastage is a significant problem in New Zealand, with...

Bestpractice Decision Support

BPAC Inc is pleased to be able to offer general practices a...

Factors that can affect laboratory investigations

In 2013 we published an article entitled “Best tests?” (Best...

The New Zealand Laboratory Schedule and Test Guidelines: Anatomic Pathology Tests

The New Zealand Laboratory Schedule provides clinicians with...

Stand up to falls - April Falls month and the Health Quality & Safety Commission’s reducing harm from falls campaign

Contributed by the Health Quality & Safety Commission

Upfront - End-of-life care for patients with chronic disease: have we made a difference?

In late 2011 we published an article on end-of-life care for...

The “supporting weight management in primary care” programme

The Western Bay of Plenty PHO (WBOPPHO), in conjunction with...

Upfront: The latest on IPIF

The aim of the Integrated Performance and Incentive Framework...

2014 Annual Practice Report - Pharmaceutical and Laboratory Test Utilisation

This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to...

Exposure to body fluids: keeping the primary healthcare team safe

Providing a safe working environment involves both minimising...

A review of statin use and monitoring

Statins are one of the most frequently prescribed medicines...

Communicating cardiovascular risk effectively

Calculating a patient’s cardiovascular risk is relatively easy;...

Recommendations for good IT management for general practices

General practices are increasingly dependent on their IT systems...

Taking responsibility for test results: A discussion

The management of test results, in particular the issue of who...

Oxycodone Update

Since 2011, bpacnz has produced a series of reports and articles...

Oxycodone: how did we get here and how do we fix it?

Following on from the interview with Dr Jeremy McMinn in the...

Upfront: The Integrated Performance and Incentive Framework (IPIF): What has changed and how does it affect primary care?

On June 30, 2014, the PHO Performance Programme (PPP) ceased...

Upfront: “A disaster in the making”: it’s time to take action against misuse of oxycodone

Dr Jeremy McMinn is a consultant psychiatrist and addiction...

Rising antimicrobial resistance

Associate Professor Mark Thomas from the University of Auckland,...

The ankle-brachial pressure index: An under-used tool in primary care?

Calculating a patient’s ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI)...

Update on the Adverse Drug Reaction reporting tool

Reporting suspected adverse drug reactions enables the collection...

News Updates

Changes to the pneumococcal vaccine for children | Annual update...

2013 Annual Practice Report - Pharmaceutical and Laboratory Test Utilisation

This report has been developed to give you an opportunity to...

The New Zealand Laboratory Schedule and Test Guidelines: What does it mean for general practice?

In October, 2013, a new laboratory test schedule and accompanying...

Five tips for getting the most out of your Practice Management System

Your Practice Management System (PMS) is a powerful tool. When...

Health literacy plays an important role in boosting cervical screening uptake

Susan Reid and Carla White from health literacy and communication...

Upfront: Is the cupboard bare? The threat of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to health...

Best tests? The general principles of laboratory investigations in primary care

Laboratory tests are essential for the diagnosis and management...

Upfront: Recommended vaccinations for primary health care staff

Recommended vaccinations for staff working in primary health...

2012 Annual Report - Pharmaceutical & Laboratory Test Utilisation

Welcome to your annual practice report This report has been...

When and how to use a syringe driver in palliative care

Syringe drivers are often required to provide medicines for...

News and updates

New national genetic service launched

Upfront: Understanding health literacy

Contributed by Susan Reid and Carla White, Workbase

Health literacy: a focus for the Health Quality & Safety Commission

Over half of New Zealand's adult population is believed to have...

Medicine safety

Dr Janice Wilson, Health Quality & Safety Commission's Chief...

2011 Annual Report
Pharmaceutical & Laboratory Test Utilisation

This web version is a sample only, all data below the national...

Building cultural competence: the Medical Council's direction

The New Zealand Medical Council's approach to cultural com...

The fear of enabling; misuse of prescription medicines

Misuse of prescription opioids is increasing worldwide and many...

The role of General Practice in the care of pregnant women

Although most GPs in New Zealand no longer provide lead maternity...

Upfront: Antimicrobial resistance - the way forward

In this final article in the series on antimicrobial resistance,...

Overcoming barriers to cervical screening in Pacific women

Cervical screening rates in New Zealand have continued to increase...

Promoting healthy lifestyles for Pacific peoples

Ask a Pacific person what a healthy lifestyle means for them...

Pacific health providers

Pacific Health providers in New Zealand first began to emerge...

Upfront: Resistance to antimicrobials - an increasing problem in our community

The threat of multiple drug resistant organisms in New Zealand....

Avoiding medication errors in children

Medication errors may never be completely eliminated, but strategies...

Upfront: Medical mistakes

Health professionals are human too: Making mistakes in general...

Recognising and managing mental health problems in Māori

Mental health problems are common in Māori, yet there is...

The Role of the GP

The Role of the GP in Termination of Pregnancy in New Zeal...

Upfront: Discussing weight loss in general practice

New Zealanders are getting fatter. That’s a fact. When a problem...

Upfront: Waste Not Want Not. Reducing wastage

Deals with the cost of wasted medicines with some practical...

Counseling patients through a brand change

Health care professionals have an important role in helping...

Upfront: The unequal impact of cancer.

Cancer has a significant and disproportionate impact on Māori,...

Communicating cardiovascular risk - getting your message across

Many GPs find it difficult to explain CVD risk to their patients....

Motivational interviewing

An overview of a technique that can be used to help people make...

Why you should prescribe generically

Generic prescribing is cost effective, associated with less...

Practical solutions for improving Māori health

So what can primary healthcare professionals do about disparities...

Upfront: Diverse realities of Māori

Māori have poorer health outcomes, die younger and have...

Upfront: Evidence based medicine

The dilemma of practicing evidence based medicine when it keeps...

Dilemmas: Principles of prescribing for elderly people

Several key principles should be considered when prescribing...

Snippets: NSAIDs dextropropoxyphene and antibiotic resistance

Drug information of topical interest

A Māori/Pacific nursing service in a mainstream PHO

A PHO shares its experience and outcomes of establishing a unique...

Upfront: The doctor who wasn't

Dr Seuss understood that a message is best received when delivered...

qi4gp ensuring quality patient care

qi4gp (Quality Information for General Practice) is a ‘grass...

Upfront: The Augmentin-free office

Practical advice on reducing the use of augmentin

Counselling patients through a brand change

Advice on counselling patients through a brand change.

“What is Māori Patient-Centred Medicine for Pakeha GPs?”

Recently bpacnz programme developer Dr Trevor Walker interviewed...

Upfront: Confronting the conundrum: do you prescribe antibiotics for respiratory tract infections?

The June edition of Best Practice Journal (BPJ 68) was themed...

Upfront - NICE-bpac^nz Symposium

Guidelines and Pathways – what role do they have in the United...

Introduction: BPJ Generics special edition

Generic drugs are reproductions of the original innovator medicine...