IMMEDIATE action should be taken by the Federal Government to improve access to quality medication management reviews for patients, the Aged Care Royal Commission Final Report has found.
The Royal Commission called on the Government to allow and fund "pharmacists from 01 Jan 2022 to conduct reviews on entry to residential care and annually thereafter, or more often if there has been a significant change to the person receiving care's condition or medication regimen".
The report added that the eligibility criteria for residential medication management reviews (RMMRs) be amended to include patients in transition care and residential respite care.
The Royal Commission also called on the Government to monitor quality and consistency of medication management reviews.
Commissioner, Lynelle Briggs, said aged care providers should be required to employ at least one pharmacist by 01 Jul 2024.
The Commissioners also called for the Government to amend the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Schedule so that only a psychiatrist or a geriatrician can initially prescribe antipsychotics as a pharmaceutical benefit for people receiving residential aged care, and for those people who have received such an initial prescription from a psychiatrist or geriatrician, GPs can issue repeat prescriptions of antipsychotics on the PBS for up to a year after the date of the initial prescription.
Announcing the launch of the report, Prime Minister, Scott Morrison said there would be "no easy fixes" for the sector.
However, the Government has allocated a $452.2 million response package for the aged care sector, with Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, saying funding for pharmacy programs would be extended out to 2025.
More from the Aged Care Royal Commission on pages two & three.
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