Key messages
- A medication management kit has been developed to help residential aged care services meet their medication management requirements.
- The resource kit allows aged care providers to understand and implement the Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council guidelines.
- The resource kit and associated training materials can be downloaded and used by aged care services.
Providers and staff of aged care services have many responsibilities in ensuring that quality is evident in all aspects of an aged care service. In Victoria, the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 and the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006 set out the responsibilities of managers of residential aged care services in the settings where there are high-care residents.
The Guidelines for medication management in residential aged care facilities (Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council [APAC] Guidelines) help residential aged care services to develop systems that support the quality use and administration of medicines.
Aged care medication management resource kit – why it is needed
Many services are relatively small. This means that there are few key staff members who can share the responsibility of developing and reviewing systems.
The resource kit helps services to implement the recommendations in the APAC Guidelines. The resource kit allows services to adopt the required tools and knowledge to anticipate and manage risks, and to better deliver quality care. The kit will save time and resources because it provides practical, easy-to-use tools and templates.
The development of the kit was informed by consultation with a very wide range of people and organisations involved in aged care and healthcare. It also takes into account the 2006 changes to the legislation.
The resources in the kit allow providers to support the quality use of medicines and quality medication outcomes for residential aged care services in Victoria.
Many other healthcare professionals working in aged care – such as general practitioners, community pharmacists, allied health workers and training organisations – may also benefit from using the kit.
The kit was developed for Victorian services but is based on national guidelines, and will have applicability across Australia and, potentially, in other countries.
Aged care medication management resource kit – accessing it
Although the resource kit was initially available as a hard copy, professionals and others can still access the full kit via downloads.
Section A of the resource kit contains general information about the 14 APAC recommendations. Section B contains information relevant to each specific APAC recommendation. The examples in Section B are drafts and samples for residential aged care services to adapt and tailor to the needs of their own organisation, based on the outcomes of quality audits.
Resource Kit to enable implementation of the APAC Guidelines for Medication Management in Residential Aged Care Facilities - September 2006
Section C of the resource kit includes electronic copies of the documents in the resource kit, in Word format, so that residential aged care services can adapt the examples and insert details specific to their own circumstances.
Sample letter to resident advocate and family members regarding medication management (A)
Sample letter to resident advocate and family members regarding medication management (B)
Sample invitation letter to general practitioner
Draft policy for use of complementary therapy by residents
Draft policy for complementary and alternative therapies
Example of complementary therapies care plan
Sample letter to residents regarding complementary therapies
Sample letter for staff member
Example of terms of reference for MAC
Example terms of reference for regional MAC
Example minute template for MAC
Example of medication chart audit
Residential medication management reviews information for aged care homes
Residential medication management reviews information for general practitioners
Residential medication management reviews questions and answers
Sample policy and procedure for medication management
Off-site administration of medication
Sample letter to GP seeking authority for list of nurse-initiated medications
Example authority for list of nurse-initiated medications
Guidelines for management of residents who administer their own medicines (self-administration)
Example of self-administration of medication assessment
Sample letter to resident regarding self-administration
Draft guidelines for modification of oral formulations
Sample of a dose administration aid practice checklist
Sample of a dose administration aid system checklist
Aged care medication management – training
You can download copies of the slides used during the education session about implementing the APAC Guidelines. Residential aged care services are encouraged to use these slides to provide additional staff training.
Presentation - resource kit to enable implementation of the APAC Guidelines on medication management
Handout - resource kit to enable implementation of the APAC Guidelines on medication management
Reviewed 22 November 2021