The New South Wales Therapeutic Advisory Group Inc. (NSW TAG) is an independent, not-for-profit member-based organisation, comprised of clinical pharmacologists, pharmacists, nurses and clinicians committed to advancing quality use of medicines (QUM) in NSW public hospitals and the wider community.
We seek to facilitate processes that ensure consumers of health care in NSW receive the most appropriate medicines in the most appropriate manner whilst ensuring that the limited resources of the health care budget devoted to medicines use are used according to sound economic principles.
In pursuing this goal, we focus on providing information, advice and support to decision-makers in NSW public hospitals, NSW Ministry of Health and other relevant organisations.
13/10/21: Click here for correspondence about NSW TAG’s future beyond 2021
Click here to download a report of NSW TAGs activity for NSW Health 2018-2021
Click here to download a summary infographic of NSW TAGs role and functions
Our goal is:
- To advance quality use of medicines by sharing unbiased, evidence-based information about drug therapy
Our objectives are:
- To investigate and evaluate new initiatives in therapeutics
- To support Drug and Therapeutics Committees
- To promote rational, high quality, cost-effective use of medicines in public hospitals and the wider community
NSW TAG has applied the following strategies to achieve these objectives:
- Development of position statements and evidence-based guidelines for the rational use of specific drugs and drug groups
- Collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative drug usage data
- Development and utlisation of specific strategies to influence prescribing behaviour and provision of a counter-balance to industry promotion
- Describing and monitoring activities and decision-making of drug committees to facilitate equity, increase transparency and to promote peer review/support
- Assessing the impact of new medicines on quality of patient care in the hospital system
- Disseminating information to stakeholders and educate identified target groups
- Providing advice on therapeutic matters to NSW Health
- Undertaking projects on behalf of NSW Health according to availability of resources
- Conducting and facilitating research pertinent to the quality use of medicines
- Facilitating the provision of economic analyses and critical appraisal of pharmacoeconomic studies
In the spirit of reconciliation the NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.