industry & reform
Pharmacy , came in response to the Aged Care Royal Commission ’ s recommendation to look closer at the evidence behind the medication review programme .
The study revealed that , on average , medication reviews identify between 2.7 and 3.9 medicine-related problems , yet , four out of five residents are missing out on those meet-ups despite being eligible .
She emphasises that many factors are at play regarding polypharmacy and medication-induced harm .
“ It ’ s a very complex process where many barriers can arise across each step ,” she says .
“ So that ’ s very likely the reason why we ’ re seeing limited uptake of the review service in residential care .”
The “ right ” process starts with someone receiving a referral and then undertaking a review . They are then provided with recommendations before being incorporated into a medication management plan .
But complications and communication issues along the way can prevent people ’ s medications being reviewed .
Particularly when someone goes into residential aged care , Sluggett says , as many residents get a new GP and will receive care from new staff who may not have the resident ’ s full medical background information .
“ Or they might be receiving medicines dispensed from a new pharmacy or have been in hospital before they come into residential aged care ,” she explains .
“ So , all of those factors can mean that medicines change on entry .
“ And we know that when a person goes through a transition of care , it can be a riskier period in terms of medication use .”
Sluggett is calling for better communication between the industry bodies to prevent medication-induced harm .
“ A key component of this is building strong relationships between pharmacists , GPs and providers , together with residents and their families , so that all parties are on the same page ,” she says .
“ There are so many different competing bodies , and everybody ’ s so stretched .
The government has announced funding for a new program to support pharmacists working onsite in aged care facilities , starting from January 2023 .
Pharmacists will be able to work onsite more often in aged care homes while facilitating collaboration between the pharmacists and other care team members .
Sluggett says she ’ s looking forward to the implementation of the new program .
“ Then they ’ re on the ground to provide more resident care and improve health outcomes for residents ,” she says .
“ But we ’ re also still encouraging residents to ask for frequent medication reviews and for GPs , pharmacists and aged care providers to think about which of their residents could potentially benefit from a review .” ■
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