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Have your say about improving medication management in aged care

Have your say about improving medication management in aged care

The Victorian Government is committed to continuously improving the standards of care in Victoria’s residential aged care facilities.

A consultation process is underway to inform a proposal to change the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) (DPCS Act) ) (Part II Division 10A) which regulates how the administration of prescribed medication is managed in a residential aged care setting.

The consultation is seeking ANMF members’ views on the type of legislative changes and other complementary actions that could support best practice in the management and administration of medications for a person living in a residential aged care facility including:

  • how current requirements in the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act – which regulate how the administration of prescribed medication is managed in residential aged care – could be strengthened
  • additional safeguards that could support improved administration of medications for people living in aged care, particularly for people who do not manage their own medications.

ANMF is encouraging members, particularly aged care and emergency department members, to complete the survey as part of the consultation process.

Round-table consultation

The Department of Health has engaged EY to facilitate consultation activity with the sector and key stakeholders and would like to engage with providers and direct care workers.

They are seeking participants for round-table consultations about this important issue. The round-table consultations are proposed to be conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams and will be a maximum of 1.5 hours each. They understand the challenges and current COVID-19 pandemic situation that providers are currently experiencing and are sensitive to the impact on the sector. As a result they intend to be flexible with this approach to encourage participation. Given the current circumstances, their consultations can be scalable to suit participants availability and they will ensure to maximise your valuable time with this important opportunity for improvement of medication management within residential aged care.

Round-table consultations are currently open until 19 August.

If you are interested in participating in this consultation, contact Avneet Hundel via avneet.hundel@au.ey.com

Survey – open until 22 August

If you are unable to attend a round-table consultation session, please make your voice heard via this 15-minute survey. The survey is anonymous and will be open until 22 August.

Central to this work are the perspectives and experience of people living in residential aged care, and their families and carers. The National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) is conducting phone interviews with residents, families and carers. NARI may reach out to your facility directly, however if you know of residents, families or carers who might be interested in participating, please get in touch with Leona Kosowicz via l.kosowicz@nari.edu.au.

More information

For information about improving medication management within Victorian Residential Aged Care Facilities, visit the Engage Victoria website.

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