Pharmacy Daily | Med safety initiative for intellectual disability

THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has announced a new initiative to improve medicine safety and health outcomes for people with intellectual disability.

The project aims to empower people with intellectual disability to feel confident, informed and in control of their medicines, in line with PSA's mission to lead national efforts "to improve medicine safety for all Australians, ensuring no one is left behind".

According to the PSA, Australians with intellectual disability face serious and persistent health inequities, including a 4.5-fold higher risk of preventable hospitalisations and more than twice the rate of avoidable deaths.

This initiative seeks to close that gap by improving health literacy; medicine safety; and access to pharmacist-led services such as medication reviews, dose administration aids, prescribing, and injectable medicines.

The initiative is a partnership with the South Australian Council on Intellectual Disability (SACID) and the University of Newcastle (UoN), supported by the 2025 Innovation Seed Funding Grants from the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health.

As part of the project, PSA will work alongside SACID and people with intellectual disability to co-design interactive workshops and 'Easy Read' resources that build understanding of safe medicine use and highlight how pharmacists can support individual health needs.

"Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to support Australians with intellectual disability through personalised, accessible, and inclusive care," PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim said.

"This initiative builds on our Medicine Safety: Disability Care report and reaffirms PSA's commitment to making healthcare more inclusive, accessible, and safe for all Australians.

"By bringing together lived experience, clinical expertise, and research, this collaboration is a powerful step toward reducing health inequities and delivering better, safer care for a community that has long been overlooked."

SACID Executive Director Felicity Crowther added: "Accessible health information is key to improving health outcomes for people with intellectual disability.

"It is also important for people with intellectual disability to understand the role their pharmacist can have in supporting their health.

"SACID is pleased to have the opportunity to work alongside PSA and UoN on this new project," Crowther concluded.

The project is currently in development, with delivery expected to commence in 2026.