History

The journal was first published by the Commonwealth Department of Health in 1975. It has since been published by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, then by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch of the Department of Health and Ageing, before finding a new home with the National Prescribing Service (now NPS MedicineWise) in 2002.

Australian Prescriber has been online since 1996. There are over 100 back issues available, including hundreds of editorials, articles, book reviews, comments on new drugs, case studies and much more. All issues from December 1999 onwards are available in both HTML text and PDF.

Until the end of 2009, the Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (ADRAC) Bulletin was distributed with Australian Prescriber. As of February 2010, adverse drug reactions reporting provided by the Therapeutic Goods Administration is published within the journal as 'Medicines Safety Update'.

Independence

Australian Prescriber was a founding member of the International Society of Drug Bulletins and, in accordance with their policy, accepts no advertising. Without a dependence on advertising, Australian Prescriber can comment freely and impartially on controversial issues.

Readership

The paper copy of Australian Prescriber is distributed free of charge to Australian prescribing health professionals, as well as to teaching hospitals and universities for students of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry.

Thousands more health professionals from Australia and around the world choose to access Australian Prescriber online and receive an email alert (e-alert) to inform them of each new issue published. Anyone can sign up for an e-alert.

Editorial Executive Committee

The role of the Editorial Executive Committee is to:

• select topics for publication in Australian Prescriber
• commission authors
• review draft articles and approve these for publication
• review comments on new drugs which have been prepared by the Editors
• select correspondence for publication
• oversee the general direction of the journal.

The Committee currently consists of the following members: the medical editor, the deputy editor, a psychiatrist, a geriatrician, a general physician, a general practitioner, a clinical pharmacologist and a pharmacist. It is supported by an editorial assistant, the production manager and coordinator, and administration.

The committee liaises with NPS MedicineWise as an advisory group, with the Australian Prescriber Advisory Editorial Panel, with other independent Australian medicines information providers and a range of stakeholders engaged in the quality use of medicines in Australia and overseas.

Advisory Editorial Panel

The Advisory Editorial Panel supports the Editorial Executive Committee. Its members represent 46 major Australian specialist colleges and societies, providing a direct link with specialist practice. Panel members contribute suggestions for article topics and authors, and comments on draft articles.

Funding

Australian Prescriber is funded from a budget allocated to NPS MedicineWise, an independent, not-for-profit organisation which provides evidence-based medicines information and resources for consumers, health professionals, members and stakeholders involved in Quality Use of Medicines. NPS MedicineWise is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.