Monash awarded $2 million to investigate embedding pharmacists in residential aged care facilities
Monash University’s Centre for Medicine Use and Safety (CMUS) has been awarded $2 million through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to investigate embedding pharmacists in residential aged care facilities.
The project will involve pharmacists working as ‘knowledge brokers’ to implement evidence-based recommendations to improve the safe and effective use of psychotropic medications in people living with dementia and in aged care. It directly addresses over-reliance on psychotropic medications, which has been highlighted as needing immediate action by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
Previous Australian research suggests more than 60 per cent of residents use psychotropic medications on a regular basis. The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) report Medicine Safety: Aged Care highlights that more than 90 per cent of resident’s experience one or more medication-related problems.
Project Lead and CMUS Director Professor Simon Bell said: “Rates of psychotropic medication use remain high, despite an overall lack of evidence for benefits and well-established risks. New models of evidence-translation are needed to ensure safe and effective medication management.
“Pharmacist knowledge brokers will work in close partnership with nurses, GPs, residents and their families to provide training in managing changed behaviours and to coordinate education using evidence-based resources.”
Project Investigator Dr Amanda Cross, who completed her PhD on medication use in dementia in 2019, said: “We will apply new data-driven strategies to develop a model of continuous quality improvement. This will include digital health applications and benchmarking using new quality indicators.”
The four-year project will be conducted in partnership with the University of Queensland, Flinders University, University of Sydney and five aged care provider organisations in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The project will also involve New South Wales Therapeutic Advisory Group (NSW TAG) and specialist aged care pharmacy providers Gunn & McConville in Victoria and Aspect Health in Queensland.
Last year Monash University was commissioned to develop new Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Psychotropic Medications in People Living with Dementia and in Residential Aged Care.
Professor Bell said: “If employing pharmacists as knowledge brokers to address evidence-practice gaps proves successful, the model may be suitable for translating clinical practice guidelines in other therapeutic areas.”
Contact: Kate Carthew, Media Manager
Phone: +61 438 674 814
Email: kate.carthew@monash.edu