Title: Information flows in the diffusion of pharmaceutical audit in England

Authors: Jennifer Tann, Stuart Hanson

Addresses: School of Continuing Studies, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. ' School of Continuing Studies, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

Abstract: Pharmaceutical audit was introduced in Britain in 1993, following the government White Paper of 1989. General medical practitioners (GPs) and nurses had already adopted audit. There were both pro- and anti-audit lobbies. The introduction of pharmaceutical audit was facilitated in the hospital sector where pharmacists worked in uni- and multi-professional teams, and could learn informally from each other. In community pharmacy, many professionals are isolated, and also in commercial competition with each other. While formal information channels have proved effective in informing practitioners of the existence of audit, they are less effective in motivating, building confidence, and transferring the know-how for the practical implementation of audit.

Keywords: pharmaceutical audit; pharmacy; awareness; implementation; facilitators; barriers; information flows; UK; United Kingdom.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1996.025419

International Journal of Technology Management, 1996 Vol.11 No.1/2, pp.89 - 103

Published online: 22 May 2009 *

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