SIGMA Healthcare's MPS dose administration aid business is set to launch a newly developed "family portal" which will alert family members of any changes made to medications prescribed to residents of aged care facilities.
The initiative was revealed in an annual review of Sigma's operations released on Fri, which highlighted a range of activities undertaken by the MPS business as it navigated the complexities of COVID-19.
The pandemic saw aged care facilities lock down numerous times and some closures, with resident numbers down across the country, particularly in Victoria.
MPS ensured continuity of supply to its 50,000 clients by investing in extra hygiene activities, increased consumable stock levels, separation of shifts to mitigate risks of cross-contamination, and introduced COVID-Safe plans at all three of its TGA-accredited sites.
The last 12 months also saw the business add about 4,800 new residents in Brisbane from four major Aged Care providers.
"Committed to providing communities and patients with positive health outcomes, MPS spent time connecting with doctors, nurses, facility managers, pharmacists, aged care residents and their families throughout the year, to better understand their needs and wants," the company said, with the new family portal a key outcome of these discussions.
Also new for MPS is the development of a new software program enabling the company to enter into the electronic National Residential Medications Chart (eNMRC) trial being undertaken by the Australian Government's Digital Health Agency.
The platform assists doctors to move from a paper-based script to an electronic version, which then feeds into the MPS pharmacy software for confirmation by the pharmacist.
This in turn integrates with an electronic dose software system used by the nurses in each facility.
"The eNMRC replaces a manual paper system that currently exists in managing the residents' medication, and moves the whole medication management to an electronic system, reducing risks and enabling better care outcomes," the company said.
The MPS eNMRC software was approved by the Government in Dec 2020 & will go live this month.
Meanwhile the new "family portal" under development will advise family members when any changes are made "so they will always be kept in the loop about their loved ones' medication management".
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