The NICE Medicines and Prescribing Centre Facilitator programme supports Regional implementation of the QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention) in relation to prescribing and medicines optimisation. To achieve this aim, NICE Medicines and Prescribing Centre Facilitators each focus on one of ten geographical Regions across England; working with locally defined networks including emerging commissioning consortia, PCT clusters, and other existing NHS organisations, (such as Secondary Care and Mental Health Trusts) in order to:

— Support the identification of current issues relating to the use of medicines,

— Support the development of action plans against agreed priority areas,

— Support the use of prescribing data to drive improvement towards agreed goals,

— Provide advice and support to key individuals to allow them to cascade relevant information within their own organisations,

— Signpost individuals or organisations to further support from NICE,

— Facilitate the identification and sharing of good practice.