Guiding principles for medication management in the community - July 2006
Background
The Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council (APAC) is a consultative forum that brings together key stakeholders from the medical, nursing and pharmacy professions, as well as industry, consumers and government, to advise the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing on medicines policy. APAC’s mission is to develop, promote, influence and assist in the implementation of the National Medicines Policy in Australia, using a partnership approach to do so.
APAC has been addressing matters related to medication management for older people for some years. In 1997, APAC released guidelines for medication management in residential aged care facilities to address concerns in the residential aged care setting. The first two editions of APAC’s Integrated best practice model for medication management in residential aged care facilities raised awareness about the quality use of medicines in residential aged care facilities and how a multi-disciplinary approach can improve health outcomes for residents. The 2002 review of these guidelines saw them renamed as Guidelines for medication management in residential aged care facilities.
After the third edition of the guidelines was disseminated in 2003, and in line with APAC’s mission, APAC agreed that similar guidelines were needed for medication management in the community. It established the APAC Community Care Working Party to develop Guiding principles for medication management in the community. The working party included representatives from the medical, nursing and pharmacy professions, consumers, the Department of Health and Ageing, state governments, and the aged and community care industry.
Users of these Guiding principles for medication management in the community should be aware of the links with APAC’s recently revised Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management and the Guidelines for medication management in residential aged care facilities and refer to them as needed.
