FEDERAL Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, is being urged to increase funding to boost medicines safety in residential aged care facilities, in next week's 2021-22 Federal Budget.
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, reiterated calls for the Government to invest in pharmacist-led services in the aged care sector, in a pre-Budget plea released today.
"There is no denying that the current system is failing, and pharmacists are part of the solution," he said.
"The Government must act now, before it is too late for some of our aged care residents.
"Twenty per cent of unplanned hospital admissions for aged care residents are a result of inappropriate medicine use.
"This is a game of Russian roulette, and unfortunately our older Australians are paying the price.
"By embedding pharmacists in these facilities, we can safeguard residents from the harms medicines are causing and maximise their effectiveness in improving quality of life."
Freeman said the PSA's Medicine Safety: Take Care report had found 98% of aged care residents had at least one medicine-related problem.
"This can no longer be tolerated," he said.
Freeman added that current service arrangements in Australia and the limited funding available were "grossly inadequate" to support pharmacists to deliver the range of medication management services required to improve medicines safety in aged care.
Earlier this week the PSA President called on the Government to allocate $200 million over the next four years to enable aged care facilities to engage pharmacists to tackle the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medicines and sedatives.
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