MeREC Publications and resources

The MeReC portfolio is produced by the National Prescribing Centre (NPC). Since April 2000, the portfolio has been funded by NICE through a contractrual arrangement with the NPC.

MeReC Publications and related resources are recognised as essential, high quality resources to support healthcare planning, inform prescribing practice and update professional knowledge. They are used extensively as reference materials and educational tools and offer pragmatic, timely, evaluated information about medicines, therapeutics, and prescribing-related issues, based on the best evidence available. The NPC works with NICE to agree, in advance, the work programme for MeReC Publications and resources.

MeReC Publications are freely available on the world wide web but are targeted at healthcare professionals who provide patient care and those who provide prescribing advice and or medicines management services. The MeReC portfolio continues to evolve to take account of ongoing NHS developments. This includes an increasing focus on timely electronic outputs and the production of web-based education tools and resources to support implementation of evidence based practice at a local level. This will meet the needs of a wider audience of individuals including commissioners and providers considering evidence based services as they relate to medicines.

A recent example of MeReC resources (MeReC Extra 30) highlighted the need for increased vigilance by prescribers and patients when considering the use of some traditional anti-inflammatory painkillers to patients at risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke. To support implementation of these key messages, a range of web based education and implementation tools were produced in addition to the clinical summary provided within the core MeReC publication.

Implementation resources are available via the NPC website (www.npc.co.uk) and an interactive website, NPCi (www.npci.org.uk). NPCi is an NHS learning resource which uses a dynamic and engaging interface (as a virtual building). It draws on trusted sources of evidence (like NICE guidance) to help busy healthcare professionals stay up to date in an engaging and fun way. Access to NPCi is available to anyone with an internet connection.

To ensure that you keep up to date and fully informed of MeReC publications and resources you can sign upto the NPC email alert service MyNPC, via the NPC website (www.npc.co.uk)