The role of medication advisory committees in residential aged care services

Variation in Provision of Collaborative Medication Reviews on Entry to Long-Term Care Facilities

“…37 Variability with regard to structure and function of medication advisory committees in Australian RACFs and use of medications contributing to polypharmacy has been reported. 37,38 These factors may have contributed to the facility-level differences in RMMR provision observed in the present study. Facility-level differences in utilization of locums, particularly among new residents, may have also contributed, as RMMR program rules suggest referrals are made by the resident's usual GP.…”

National Trends and Policy Impacts on Provision of Home Medicines Reviews and Residential Medication Management Reviews in Older Australians, 2009–2019

“…Strategies could include consumer and GP education, targeted feedback to GPs that identifies patients who may benefit from HMRs, standardized templates, peer assessment of reports, and better utilization of digital systems and decision support tools [ 5 , 15 , 18 , 21 , 22 ]. Program rules could be changed to, in part, facilitate greater flexibility and include strategies such as referral by nurse practitioners, providing HMR visits outside the patient’s home (e.g., in general practices), removing caps on monthly HMR provision, quality indicators, and greater involvement of RACF medication advisory committees [ 6 , 14 , 15 , 18 , 21 , 23 ]. Recent recommendations from Australia’s MBS Taskforce to establish MBS items for remunerating pharmacists and other non-medical health professionals for case conference participation have not yet been implemented [ 24 ].…”

Embedding pharmacists in residential aged care: Why it's important to integrate resident‐ and system‐level services

“…8 This may include chairing the Medication Advisory Committee to proactively identify and respond to emerging QUM issues at the RACF and aged-care provider level. 9 A key example of how resident-and system-level pharmacy services could be integrated is in the implementation of national clinical practice guidelines. Poor uptake of guideline recommendations is a barrier to reducing avoidable medication-related harm.…”

“…RMMR) and improve processes across the whole medication management cycle: procurement, audit and feedback using medication indicators, review of quality and safety systems, and timely communication of accurate, complete and comprehensive medication information across transitions of care 8 . This may include chairing the Medication Advisory Committee to proactively identify and respond to emerging QUM issues at the RACF and aged‐care provider level 9 …”