Transforming Prescribing Insight Through Automated Dashboards in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (2025)

Shropshire Telford & Wrekin ICB

Project summary

To improve prescribing quality, reduce unwarranted variation, and enhance financial oversight, I developed an automated system for sharing key prescribing KPIs with all GP practices across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin as part of the Prescribing Development Scheme. This innovation harnesses the powerful capabilities of Microsoft SharePoint and Excel to streamline how data is collected, analysed, and visualised—supporting timely, data-driven decision-making across the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

Previously, KPI reporting was labour-intensive, time-consuming, and inconsistently used. I designed a system that automates the extraction and modelling of relevant prescribing data, updating dashboards each month with minimal manual intervention.

These dashboards now offer clear, accessible views of practice-level performance across several critical areas, including Drugs of Limited Clinical Value, special items, out-of-area dispensing, and budget utilisation.

The impact has been immediate and significant. GP practices and the Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation Team now have real-time access to focused, actionable data. This has enhanced engagement with the Prescribing Development Scheme and allowed quicker identification and resolution of prescribing outliers. Practices can now self-monitor and benchmark their performance, driving clinical ownership and continuous improvement.

In addition to local reporting, I created an innovative, comparative dashboard for our internal project team, displaying our ICB’s prescribing spend against the BNF hierarchy—right down to paragraph level—alongside all other ICBs. This unique analysis supports intelligent project scoping, identifies potential savings opportunities, and informs strategic planning at a system level.

By transforming how data is used, the project has improved patient outcomes by promoting safer, evidence-based prescribing, and has delivered a more efficient use of NHS resources. Practices are empowered to make more cost-effective choices without compromising quality of care. Though return on investment is still being quantified, early indications suggest measurable financial savings, particularly in areas such as special items and low-value prescribing.

This data-led, digitally enabled approach has revolutionised prescribing intelligence within our ICB and serves as a scalable model for other regions aiming to modernise their medicines optimisation efforts. The project exemplifies how innovation, when aligned with clinical priorities and delivered through accessible technology, can create meaningful, lasting impact across the NHS.