Contents – April 2004

News

Updated asthma guideline endorses phone reviews

NICE publishes guidance on epilepsy therapy in adults

Personal View

Audit tool raises awareness of bone-protective therapy

GIO SCOPE supports appropriate prescribing in older people at risk of steroid-induced osteoporosis, says Professor Juliet Compston

New Guidelines: Development

NICE guideline will help to improve quality of life for COPD patients

The NICE guideline on COPD marks a significant step forward in providing effective care for patients with this chronic condition, says Dr David Halpin

New Guidelines: Review

Guideline helps GPs advise couples who fail to conceive

Recent NICE guidance gives evidence-based recommendations for GPs managing subfertile patients, says Dr Chris Barclay

New GP Contract

Register of patients with hypothyroidism is first step to improved care

The hypothyroidism indicators offer few points but practices should look beyond the contract to bring real clinical benefit to patients, says Dr Matthew Lockyer

Improved prescribing systems will benefit patients and practices

Practices should find it relatively easy to achieve maximum points for the new contract’s medicines management indicators, as Dr Nigel Watson explains

Focus on CME

Guidelines in Practice CME questions: 32

Download the PDF, write the answers in the spaces provided, then cut out the pages and put them in your personal deveopment plan

Out of Hours

All things not being equal

Dr Phil Hammond, GP and broadcaster