The government is asking whether prescribing priorities should be included in general practice incentive schemes, in a consultation that closes by midnight tomorrow (Thursday 7 March).

It is seeking views on how effective prescribing – such as tackling polypharmacy and reducing inappropriate prescribing – can be improved and incentivised.

And it is open to 'all stakeholders', including healthcare professionals, patient groups and the wider public.

This is part of a wider consultation on GP incentive schemes such as the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) and the Impact and Investment Fund (IIF).

‘General practice plays a crucial role in managing the prescribing of medicines and delivering on our prescribing priorities, such as tackling inappropriate prescribing, problematic polypharmacy, low-carbon prescribing and promoting the use of the most clinically and cost-effective medicines,’ the consultation reads.

‘Many practices already use publicly available data that shows how their prescribing compares with other practices, and we could consider using this type of data as part of an incentive scheme.’

The consultation asks respondents whether they agree or disagree ‘that the effectiveness of prescribing could be improved if included in an incentive scheme’.

It also includes questions about multiple long-term conditions, the role of GPs in reducing pressures on the health system, quality of care, patient access, continuity of care, population levels and patient choice.

Respondents do not have to answer every question, although they are encouraged to answer as many as possible, and they have until 11.59pm on Thursday 7 March to do so.

Read our interview with primary care network (PCN) pharmacist Laura Buckley about how conducting medicines reviews in care homes helped her to connect with an often-overlooked group of patients and deprescribe an impressive number of medications.