THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) says the recommendations in the Aged Care Royal Commission report "challenge all of us to comprehensively rethink the way we support and protect older Australians".
PSA National President Chris Freeman highlighted issues around inappropriate chemical restraint as well as polypharmacy leading to sedation, falls and avoidable hospitalisations as some of the biggest problems in aged care.
"Pharmacists are the key to solving these problems," he said, with the Commission's recommendations around access to embedded pharmacists and timely, regular medication management reviews among the first priorities which should be actioned.
Other recommendations urged access and funding to specialists and other health practitioners, including pharmacists, through Multidisciplinary Outreach Services.
The Commission urged the wider adoption of technology by aged care providers, including the use of digital care management system and the My Health Record system by 01 Jul 2022, including the implementation of unique identifiers for aged care facilities.
"Putting in place quality indicators, improving clinical governance, increasing accountability, providing better staff training and ongoing professional development are all measures required if generational change to our aged care system is to be achieved," Freeman said.
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