Pharmacy Daily | Webstercare NPS project

NPS MedicineWise has for the first time ever collaborated with Webstercare, on a significant project aiming to assist in the review of antipsychotic medicines used in aged care facilities. The move is in response to evidence suggesting “extensive off label use of antipsychotics for dementia patients in residential aged care,” according to NPS ceo Lynn Weekes. “While they can occasionally be effective for short term aggression and psychotic symptoms, we see them being used too often, for too long at high doses and in dangerous combinations,” she said. New functionality has been added to the Webstercare Medication Management Software, allowing pharmacists to produce reports on the use of antipsychotics in each residential aged care facility for which they supply medicines. The QUM report enables pharmacists to provide information to staff working in aged care facilities, giving them objective measurements and enabling them to establish a baseline and identify patterns of use over time. Webstercare ceo Gerard Stevens said the update would help identify residents who may benefit from a medicine review, as well as providing valuable data for local Medicine Advisory Committees to review at their regular meetings. The new report has already been trialled at several facilities, where it was received positively and seen as having the potential to change practice. Incorrect use of antipsychotics can have serious consequences including increased risks of falls and hip fractures.

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