Investment in medicines safety in aged care welcomed by PSA

25/11/2019
 
Today’s Federal Government announcement of significant investment to address the challenges of medicines safety in aged care, including reducing chemical restraint, has been welcomed by the PSA.
 
The $25.5 million to improve medication management programs to reduce the use of medicines as a chemical restraint on aged care residents and at home will support pharmacists to ensure that more medication reviews can occur.
 
“The Government’s decision to allow more medication reviews to be delivered to a section of our community in dire need of this critical intervention is to be applauded,” PSA National President Associate Professor Chris Freeman said
 
“The PSA has long advocated for a cycle of care that delivers medication reviews conducted at a frequency and level that is dependent on patient needs, with meaningful follow-up, rather than being arbitrarily capped by funding restrictions.”
 
The pivotal Medicine Safety: Take Care report released by PSA this year showed that 98% of residents in aged care facilities have at least one medicine-related problem and over half are exposed to at least one potentially inappropriate medicine.
 
“The Federal Government’s announcement acknowledges the important role of pharmacists in ensuring the safe and quality use of medicines for elderly Australians.
 
“It is essential, if we are to address the inappropriate use of medicines for older Australians that pharmacists are able to spend more time on the ground in residential aged care facilities and in patients’ homes delivering this vital service.”
 
PSA has also welcomed the provision of $10 million to increase dementia training and support for the aged care workforce.
 
Pharmacists can be the key to rolling out these education programs to doctors and nurses within aged care. These measures will go some way towards delivering more time on the ground for pharmacists to assist doctors and nurses to make the right decisions about the use of medicines in aged care, including when to use them and when to stop.
 
“Medicine safety is everybody’s responsibility. Ensuring pharmacists have a role in supporting activities from education through to clinical governance can help deliver comprehensive and system level improvements in aged care and for elderly Australians,” A/Prof Freeman said.
 
This announcement follows the Federal Government’s commitment last month to make medicine safety and the quality use of medicines a National Health Priority Area.
 
“As medicines experts, pharmacists must be supported to spend more time across the health care system reviewing patients’ medications, providing advice to other members of the health care team and educating consumers about medicines safety, including utilising the accessible network of community pharmacists,” A/Prof Freeman said.
 
“Today’s announcement acknowledges the importance of medicines safety at both the patient and system level and is a step in the right direction to ensure all Australians receive timely, equitable and efficient healthcare.”
 
Media contact: 0487 922 176 media@psa.org.au
 

Download the media release here

Leading local Victorian pharmacists honoured

ACT Budget an opportunity to improve health care for Canberrans

Australian research confirms pharmacist-led medicine charting reduces duration of hospital stays

Pharmacist-led medicine charting has been shown to reduce the average duration of hospital stays from 4.7 days to 4.2 days in Australian research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

 

The 12 month study of 8,648 general medical patients in eight Victorian hospitals studied a collaborative model of medicine charting between pharmacist and doctors.

 

The model involved a pharmacist taking a medicine history, conducting a blood clot risk assessment and then having a face-to-face discussion with the admitting doctor before agreeing on a medicine management plan. This meant medicine problems were found and fixed on-the-spot at the point of admission, rather than placing the patient at risk for hours or days during their hospital stay.

 

The results found the proportion of patients with at least one medicine problem dropped from 66% to 3.6%. Reducing exposure to medicine-problems at admission was likely a major contributor to the reduced average duration of admission.

 

“Medicine safety is in the DNA of pharmacists. It is not surprising that when hospital pharmacists are more involved in taking a medicine history and charting medicines that patients are safer, and that this leads to shorter hospital stays.” Pharmaceutical Society of Australia National President A/Prof Chris Freeman said

 

“On top of the obvious benefit of patients being safer and getting home sooner, there are clear financial benefits to our stretched health system from patients experiencing shorter hospital stays which stem from higher-quality episodes of care.

 

“Models of care like this pharmacist-led medicines charting initiative need to become normal care for all patients in all hospitals if we are serious about medicine safety. Whatever Australian hospital a patient is in, they deserve to receive access to high quality pharmacist care like this.”

 

“We welcome this research as it adds further weight to PSA’s call in Pharmacists in 20232 for hospital pharmacists to be available at comparable levels regardless of location, timing or nature of stay to make patients in Australian hospitals safer.”

 

Media contact: PSA Media – 0487 922 176

 

Download the media release here.

PSA welcomes regional pharmacist mental health training support for pharmacists and patients

PSA welcomes the NSW Government funding announcement to train pharmacists in regional areas to identify and assist patients with mental health issues.

 

It is estimated that close to half (45.5%) of the Australian population between 16 and 85 years of age will experience a common mental illness in their lifetime with the prevalence of mental health issues, such as depression, increasing with other chronic conditions.

 

These mental health challenges are even more common in rural Australia, where pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare professional, working in close collaboration with doctors and nurses.

 

Pharmacists are well placed to support these patients in the community and identify them early so they can be referred to appropriate mental health providers, including GPs. Evidence suggests that prevention and early interventions can reduce the need for more complex and costly interventions.

 

Patients in regional areas have greater difficulties in accessing these services with patient experience data showing one in three patients living in outer-regional, remote and very remote areas having difficulty accessing services.

 

PSA NSW President Professor Peter Carroll said that “Pharmacists are trusted and accessible health professionals, often coming in contact with consumers with mental health issues, and for the majority of people with lived experience of mental health issues treatment is best provided in the community”.

 

Professor Carroll said it is pleasing to see that collaborative efforts involving both the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and the PSA have resulted in tangible investment in supporting the pharmacy workforce to improve the mental health of the NSW community.

 

“The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia fully supports the announcement by the NSW Government and looks forward to working with them to equip pharmacists in further supporting these communities”.

 

Media contact: PSA NSW, Simone Diamandis 0414 574 754

 

Download the media release here.

More time on the ground for pharmacists in general practice and aged care

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia is delivering two new two-year projects integrating pharmacists into general practice and aged care to address healthcare in regional South Australia.
 
PSA President of South Australia/Northern Territory Branch, Robyn Johns, said that in South Australia around 48 people every day or about 17,500 people a year are admitted to hospital due to a medication-related problem at a cost of around $98 million annually.
 
PSA’s Medicine Safety report highlighted Australian research which uncovered a staggering 81% of aged care residents being exposed to at least one inappropriate medicine1. The study of 533 people living in residential aged care was conducted across facilities in four states, including South Australia.
 
“The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Country SA PHN are working together to address this need through two projects integrating pharmacists into regional general practices and residential aged care facilities,” she said.
 
“Integrating pharmacists into residential aged care is the first project of its kind in regional South Australia.
 
“It will focus on ensuring quality use of medicines achieves better outcomes for aged care residents by reducing the use of high-risk medications, providing education and training to facility staff in the quality use of medicines and supporting facility staff to provide more effective medication delivery.
 
“The pharmacists will also undertake medication reviews for residents and support better transition into residential aged care for residents entering care from the community and/or hospital and for those returning to residential care from hospital.”
 
Integrating pharmacists into regional general practices commenced in 2018 and will continue and expand. Initial work has found that pharmacists have been able to successfully take part in many different types of activities including patient consultations, medication reconciliation and reviews, preventative health education, prescribing audits, MBS billing contribution, preventative healthcare, medicine information, and staff education.
 
“Importantly, pharmacists also demonstrated flexibility within their scope of practice in order to deliver value to general practices in ways that were not anticipated in the initial project scoping and which will be explored further through this expansion,” Ms Johns said.
 
Pharmacists interested in taking up the challenge of working more closely with general practice or in aged care are invited to register for a workshop at the PSA SA Office on 23 November 2019. Inquiries should be directed to Helen Stone on 08 8272 1211 or at helen.stone@psa.org.au .
 
Media contact: PSA Media 0487 922 176

Preparing pharmacists to work in general practice

New training to educate and equip pharmacists to work in general practice and improve health outcomes for patients is now available from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).
PSA has long advocated for pharmacists to be embedded wherever medicines are used, particularly in general practice.
 
PSA National President A/Prof Chris Freeman, one of the first pharmacists to work in a general practice in Australia, said PSA was committed to unlocking this opportunity for pharmacists.
 
“PSA’s Pharmacists in 2023 report states that by 2023, pharmacists should be embedded within healthcare teams to improve decision making for the safe and effective use of medicines,” A/Prof Freeman said.
“Pharmacists are already working successfully in general practice as part of PHN Trial Programs supported by PSA in North Western Melbourne, South Australia and Western Australia.
 
“The Government Workforce Incentive Program has been expanded to include pharmacists from January 2020, supporting general practices to employ pharmacists. This expansion will give pharmacists more opportunities to work in general practice.”
 
A/Prof Freemen said general practice pharmacists collaborate with GPs and other health professionals to improve medicine safety and manage patients with chronic illness.
 
“They improve health outcomes for patients by undertaking consultations with patients on the safe and quality use of medicines providing medication advice, conducting clinical audits and providing education to GPs and other practice staff,” he said.
 
PSA recommends that all pharmacists who want to work in general practice complete the PSA General Practice Pharmacist: Foundation Stage Training Program as a minimum training requirement.
 
PSA also provides a wide range of practice support tools including the Guidelines for General Practice Pharmacists, which are being released today, activity checklists and needs assessment for General Practice Pharmacists.
 
“As more pharmacists are embedded in inter-professional healthcare teams, PSA will support them to advance in their chosen career paths and provide the best possible care,” A/Prof Freeman said.
Further information about training and other practice support for pharmacists working in general practice can be found at www.psa.org.au/gppharmacist.
 
Media contact: PSA Media Phone 0487 922 176

WA expands scope of pharmacist-administered vaccinations

End the exclusion: Pharmacist access to the MBS one step closer

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has called on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce to increase the role of pharmacists to address the healthcare needs of all Australians.

 

In its submissions to the taskforce reference groups, PSA focused on inclusion of pharmacist services on the MBS to ensure pharmacists are no longer excluded from the rest of the allied healthcare workforce in the delivery of consultation based services upon referral from a general practitioner.

 

PSA’s recommendations stem from its two key reports Medicine Safety: Take Care and Pharmacists in 2023. Both reports advocate for empowering pharmacists to do more than the current healthcare system allows by harnessing their skills and expertise as medicine experts. It is PSA’s firm view that pharmacists must be involved in the care of patients whenever medicines are part of their health management plan, and particularly in the context of chronic disease management.

 

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman said although the Allied Health Reference Group recommended this action in February following previous PSA submissions, there is still more work to be done. These recommendations out for consultation must make their way to the Minister for Health’s office and once and for all cease the exclusion of pharmacist access to the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

 

“PSA has advocated over many years to develop funding models to reflect pharmacists’ extensive expertise and contribution to Australia’s health. Pharmacists have been calling for access to the MBS to reflect their skills, training and experience for longer than many of us can remember.

 

“While this recommendation now exists, it is focused on long-term implementation. Given the rate of medicine-related harm being experienced by Australians and the potential for pharmacists to contribute to medicine safety and quality use of medicines, it is critical that the implementation of this recommendation is not delayed,” Dr Freeman said.

 

The inclusion of pharmacists in allied healthcare teams is particularly important for vulnerable population groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

 

In writing to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Reference Group, PSA noted the current issues relating to medication adherence. Pharmacists can make a significant contribution to support adherence through the provision of medicine information, assessing each person’s needs and tailoring solutions accordingly.

 

Pharmacists also have a key role to play in mental health care teams. PSA supports recommendations from the Mental Health Reference Group to encourage coordinated support for patients with chronic and mental illnesses and access to mental health services in residential aged care.

 

PSA believes that pharmacists should have a role in delivering care as part of a mental health care plan, particularly where medication forms part of the patient’s treatment plan. This is particularly relevant for mental health care services in residential aged care.

 

“We look forward to continuing to work with the groups involved in the MBS Review as they undertake their consultation on these recommendations, and then working with the Minister for Health to make these recommendations a reality,” Dr Freeman said.

 

 

Media contact:   Carly Lusk, Public Affairs Officer – 0487 922 176

 

Friday 14 June 2019