Pharmacy Daily | PSA backs intellectual disability plan

AUSTRALIA'S 10-year National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability, through more effective models of care is being welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).

The plan, which was announced on Fri, includes an initial $19.3 million commitment to support health workers in delivering improved monitoring of patients' conditions and to allow for greater consideration in emergency planning and responses.

PSA National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, said medication management would form a key component of improving care in the disability sector.

"PSA strongly supports the key objectives of the National Roadmap, in particular, the development of better models of care for people with intellectual disability and support for health professionals to deliver quality care for this cohort," he said.

"While there is rightly an urgency to address inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines by people with intellectual disability, as PSA outlined in its submission to the Disability Royal Commission last year, there is broader concern for people with disability who require support with their medicines.

"It is vital that these vulnerable Australians, their families, and their carers have routine access to pharmacists and appropriate medication management programs to help ensure medication safety, support optimal and quality use of medicines and improve quality of life."

Disability Royal Commission witness and PSA SA/NT Branch Committee Member, Dr Manya Angley, called for the role of pharmacists in the disability sector to be "clearly defined and resourced accordingly".

"People with intellectual disability experience stark mental and physical health disadvantage compared to the general Australian population," she said.

"As medicines are the most powerful intervention used in healthcare, pharmacists are well positioned to improve overall health by ensuring quality use of medicines. Inappropriate medicine use, especially psychotropics, is a problem concerning both the health and disability sectors -- hence, interdisciplinary collaboration is required to address it."