Evidence-based medicine clinical practice guidelines in the Spanish National Health System

Spanish Hospital Pharmacies should become deeply implicated in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and other evidence-based products (OEBPs), either nationally or globally. The HealthGuide-CPG in the Spanish National Health System (NHS) is an organisation in which the 17 Spanish Autonomous Regions participate. It is endorsed by the Interterritorial Board in the NHS, as an instrument to improve the quality of care. The HealthGuide's mission is to encourage the supply of CPG and OEBP to support professionals and patients' decision making in the NHS and to promote the building of collaborative networks and the cooperation among entities dealing with CPGs and evidence-based medicine (EBM). The HealthGuide Technical Secretariat is located in the Aragon Health Sciences Institute. The aim of this paper is to present the HealthGuide to hospital pharmacists, not only to Spanish-speaking people, as it is applicable to any healthcare system. The resources proposed are methodological manuals for preparation, updating, implementation and patient involvement in the development of CPGs. The methods presented cover preparation, appraisal, updating, adapting and implementation of the CPG.

Catalogue of CPGs for the Spanish NHS; programme development of CPGs in the NHS; OEBPs; and education and training for EBM and CPGs.

The Spanish hospital pharmacist should participate in the development of good CPGs, health technology assessment and OEBPs.

The products and services developed in the HealthGuide framework may be a good way to acquire, improve and transfer methodological knowledge issues of EBM. The HealthGuide should take into account the knowledge of hospital pharmacists.