industry & reform
do the right thing – as did the operators.
When we approached a large for-profit
provider and a not-for-profit religious
group in Australia to be involved in our
intervention, they quickly committed to
include 50 of their homes, leaving us a
target of 100 to recruit.
The aged care industry bodies, Leading
Age Services Australia and Aged &
Community Services Australia, offered to
promote RedUSe in their online magazines.
To our surprise (and delight!), we were
inundated by homes wanting to participate.
Over 330 homes across the country
contacted us in the next four weeks
wanting to take part – a powerful indicator
of the willingness of operators and staff to
ensure appropriate sedative use.
RedUSe, funded by the Department
of Health as a Dementia and Aged Care
Service (DACS) fund, was provided to 150
homes from 2014 to 2016. Over 2500
aged care staff attended training sessions,
300 GPs participated in detailing, and
over 150 pharmacists were involved in the
initiative in six states and the ACT.
The project made a significant impact.
The overall use of antipsychotics and
benzodiazepines was reduced by 13 per
cent and 21 per cent, respectively. Of our
total sample, two-thirds of participant
homes reduced the rate of use of both
psychiatric drug classes, with 142/150
homes recording a reduction in the use of
either class. When residents taking sedative
medications at baseline (over 4000 aged
care residents) were tracked throughout
the six-month intervention, 40 per cent
had their sedative dose reduced, with
most having their agent totally ceased.
Importantly, the project was well accepted,
with 95 per cent of staff ranking the
education provided by the project as very
good/excellent. 6
Unfortunately, the DACS initiatives
from 2014 to 2016, including RedUSe,
were not continued, nor are training
materials available for use, although
we have been informed this is planned. 7
Interim economic modelling has shown
that RedUSe is cost effective through
medication cost reductions alone. 6
Ideally, with appropriate support,
the project could be delivered through
federally funded community pharmacy
as a series of Quality Use of Medicines
(QUM) strategies, currently administered
through the Pharmacy Guild. The
objectives of the QUM program are to
advise members of the home’s healthcare
team on medication management issues,
provide education to carers and other
healthcare providers, and assist homes
to undertake continuous improvement
activities, including ensuring accreditation
standards are met. 8 n
Dr Juanita Westbury is an aged care
pharmacist. RedUSe was awarded
the 2018 TheMHS award for Training,
Education or Workplace Development.
References at www.agedcareinsite.com.au
JANUA
RY
agedcareinsite.com.au 15