Options for managing change
| Options | Advantages | Disadvantages | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1 Do nothing | No expenditure for commissioning authorities in the short term | Forgoes the opportunity to improve the quality of prescribing and management of asthma patients. Risk of the pharmaceutical industry managing the change throughout the transition period to meet its own agenda | ||
| Option 2 Independent local guidance on reviewing and switching patients between products using an evidence-based approach | Quality issues addressed in both prescribing and management | Duplication of activity in different commissioning authorities with attendant costs. Risk of conflicting guidance between different authorities. The ability of purchasers to influence the behaviour of prescribers is impaired | ||
| Option 3 A co-ordinated national/regional transition guidelines products using an evidence-based approach | The scale of additional expenditure is contained. Effective prescribing and management is achieved. Conflicting recommendations and duplication of effort are minimised. There is improvement in the care of patients with asthma | |||