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Clinical tips: residential aged care
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Great article Karalyn. Clearly details what can and should be done by a pharmacist I aged care facilities. Provides a compelling case for a pharmacist embedded in a facility on a part-time or full-time basis, depending on the size and complexity of the residents. This could be a pharmacist from the supply community pharmacy or a dedicated pharmacist. With so many facilities now using sachets packed remotely, that hands-on touch and caring by the local community pharmacy has been lost.
Thanks Debbie. My personal vision for all of the services currently in discussion e.g. Pharmacists i general practice, pharmacists in aged care , pharmacists in aboriginal medical centres, is that there are three basic models:
1. Community pharmacy compensated to provide services to the entity
2. Consultant freelance pharmacist contracted by the entity
3. Embedded pharmacists within the entity
There is so much variance as to where these opportunities are available that we will require different modelling due to the availability of pharmacists to perform these roles. For instance, in one pharmacy towns such as Dover Tasmania I would hope the funding went to the community pharmacy to assist in employing enough pharmacists to perform the roles that are required.
For my area of Qld the whole three models could be utilised dependant upon the liaison. Some community pharmacies have no interest in delivering services to an AMS. It is not core business for them but they are happy if I perform these roles and I liaise with the community pharmacy as needed.
Aged Care is in a reform stage that is well overdue. It is timely to be proactive with emphasising our abilities. But it is also necessary to have flexibility in our modelling .
I agree that flexible models to meet the needs of the specific population are necessary. Models will vary from remote areas including one pharmacy/one GP towns, to rural areas (which may require one pharmacists in several locations), to regional and metropolitan areas. Models which require application for exceptional circumstances could be pragmatic.
Interesting discussion with GPs of late about the cap of 20 HMRs a month. They asked if I had the capability to perform more to which I replied yes. They asked if I wanted to do more to which I said yes. So they all came back with the same reply ‘in an area of workforce shortage I should be funded to provide more services’ . That is how it works in GP funding-they cannot understand why the same structure is not in place so that a person on the ground capable of delivering services is restricted to a model that is actually restricting patient outcomes and also restricting my ability to conduct a viable business.
There is no one else out here to assist me. Modelling can be restrictive so we do need to make sure we make this work for all providers and the patients.
I think you should make a submission to local, state and federal members and the Health Minister. It is simply not acceptable to deny consumers access of an evidence-based program.