THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia says its Clinically safe and better value Community Pharmacy Aged Care model presented to the Government during the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement negotiations provides a solution in keeping with the recommendations of the Aged Care Royal Commission, which has urged sweeping changes to medication management in aged care (PD yesterday).
Guild National President, George Tambassis, welcomed the findings and recommendations of the report, saying the Guild "looks forward to working closely with the Government to refine and implement appropriate recommendations".
He noted that the report recommended "employing or otherwise retaining" a pharmacist in residential aged care facilities.
Therefore "it is appropriate that the services of a local community pharmacy be retained," Tambassis suggested.
He also noted other outcomes of the report could see community pharmacy play an active role as "care finders, and providing elements of care at home".
"Medication adherence for people ageing at home is a critical need to be addressed to achieve safety and quality care, and community pharmacy is ideally placed to support those in their local communities in their safe use of medicines," the Guild National President added.
The Guild's proposed model is based on quality assurance through accreditation against the AS85000 Quality Care Pharmacy Standard.
"This package of care is underpinned by community pharmacist-led clinical governance, and allows for autonomous prescribing by community pharmacists, including the ability to deprescribe," Tambassis said.
"It is a model of care that aligns with the Royal Commission's intents and findings," he added.
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