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Victorian Drug Usage Advisory Committee (VDUAC)

The Victorian Drug Usage Advisory Committee (VDUAC) was formed in 1986 in recognition of the need to facilitate the appropriate and cost-effective use of medicines within Victoria.

Funded by the Department of Human Services (Victoria) the committee's ultimate aim was to ensure that consumers of medicines have access to suitable, safe and cost-effective drug therapy. With this aim in mind the group had a key role in facilitating, supporting and initiating activities to:

• Identify and evaluate drug usage problems and issues
• Develop policies and guidelines for drug usage
• Disseminate prescribing information
• Educate prescribers and consumers.

In each of these areas the committee took on a vital coordinating and networking function, serving as a conduit for the sharing of information and expertise amongst the multitude of stakeholders including health professionals, hospitals, government agencies, professional organisations and industry.

Hospital issues & activities

Much of the work of the VDUAC was conducted within the Victorian public hospital system, with particular effort being directed to supporting and facilitating the important role of hospital drug and therapeutics committees.

As a result drug usage within our hospital system is now scrutinised from both the clinical and financial viewpoints by active and proficient drug committees, which benefited from the network of expertise and experience availed by the VDUAC.

The dissemination of information and advice on contemporary prescribing issues, another key activity of the VDUAC, was established as an important ongoing strategy for achieving quality drug usage, both in the public and private hospital systems.

Victorian Drug Usage Advisory Committee Annual Report

Activities of the VDUAC are described in these most recent annual reports:

• VDUAC Annual Report 2000 (135kb, pdf)
• VDUAC Annual Report 2001 (433kb, pdf)
• VDUAC Annual Report 2002 (131kb, pdf)
• VDUAC Annual Report 2003 (290kb, pdf)
• VDUAC Annual Report 2004 (266kb, pdf)

Prescribed Reading Newsletter

The former newsletter of the VDUAC:

• Volume 15 November 1999 (25kb, pdf)
• Volume 14 June 1998 (31kb, pdf)
• Volume 13 April 1997 (29kb, pdf)
• Volume 12 April 1996 (archived)

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