Towards better prescribing – a model for implementing clinical guidelines in primary care organisations in the NHS Available to Purchase

Clinical guidelines aim to disseminate evidence and thus to change behaviour. This process is complex and needs a coherent approach. Aims to develop a model for implementing clinical guidelines in primary care and thus influencing prescribing by general practitioners (GPs). A total of 25 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with GPs and primary care academics. To enrich the model an ongoing literature review of guideline implementation and changing prescribing behaviour was used. A simple model was derived to guide primary care organisations and GPs in implementing guidelines for prescribing, which comprises six steps: choose the condition; choose the guideline; identify influential people; identify organisational factors; plan and adopt an implementation strategy; and monitor the resulting adherence. The model provides a framework for planning the implementation of guidelines, and recognising barriers that hinder adherence to guidelines. It may help to explain why clinical guidelines vary in their uptake.