Pharmacy Daily | GP & residential care options

THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) South Australian branch is to deliver two new two-year projects integrating pharmacists into general practice and aged care to address healthcare in regional areas of the state.

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.

Similarly, PSA's Medicine Safety report highlighted Australian research which uncovered a whopping 81% of aged care residents being exposed to at least one inappropriate medicine.

"The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Country SA Primary Health Network are working together to address this need through two projects integrating pharmacists into regional general practices and residential aged care facilities," Johns said.

Pharmacists in residential aged care "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," she said.

Medication reviews conducted by pharmacists will also better support their transition in and out of hospital and residential care, she added.

The GP project 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.

Interested pharmacists can contact helenstone@psa.org.au.