Table 1 Educational intervention topics and target audience

Interventions to increase use of medicines

2: Beta-blockers, take the next step for heart failure

6954

12047

N/A

To increase beta-blocker use in veterans with heart failure

Veterans dispensed medicines indicative of heart failure who were not dispensed a heart failure specific beta blocker

3: Diabetes triple check

8573

16612

5459

To increase use of adjunct cardiovascular medicines in veterans with diabetes

Veterans dispensed medicines indicative of diabetes (insulin and/or oral hypoglycaemics)

15: Osteoporosis

16876

83110

7967

To increase uptake rates of bone density tests, and osteoporosis treatments

Women aged 70–79, men aged 80–85 and those over 50 years admitted to hospital with a fracture from a same level fall

Interventions to reduce use of medicines

4: Clinical risk management: NSAIDs

11242

9885

5447

To reduce NSAID use in veterans with heart failure and diabetes

Veterans with dispensed medicines indicative of diabetes and/or heart failure

5: Antidepressants: three steps towards safer use

12482

42196

5447

To reduce potentially avoidable antidepressant interactions and duplicate therapy

Veterans dispensed antidepressants

6: Inhaled respiratory medicines: optimising use

10720

28670

5447

To decrease use of multiple devices

Veterans dispensed inhaled respiratory medicines

7: PPIs in GORD: Reduce the dose – keep the benefits

13684

62460

5447

To encourage use of lower-strength PPIs for maintenance therapy

Veterans dispensed proton pump inhibitors

8: Reducing adverse drug events for your veteran patients

11050

32484

7074

To reduce use of potentially inappropriate medicines in the elderly (aged over 70 years)

Veterans 70 years of age or over, dispensed medicines that should be used with caution in the elderly (according to Beers [33] and McLeod [34] criteria)

12: Antipsychotics in dementia

3884

6690*

8089

To reduce antipsychotic use for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (in those aged over 65 years).

Veterans aged >65 years dispensed oral antipsychotic medicines.

14: COPD

8785

18096

7880

To reduce nebuliser use and reduce multiple device use

Veterans dispensed tiotropium or ipratropium

Interventions with a combination of messages

10: Constipation: a quality of life issue for veteran patients

9825

29231

7327

To improve use of medicines for constipation; specifically, to increase the use of osmotic and bulk laxatives and reduce the use of contact laxatives.

Veterans dispensed laxatives

13: Clopidogrel

8279

16867

7970

To increase use of clopidogrel with aspirin and reduce concurrent use of clopidogrel with NSAIDs

Veterans dispensed clopidogrel