Medication Reviews
Each year more than 140,000 Australians have to go to hospital with problems caused by their medicine and up to 69% of these cases were preventable. Generally, patients taking multiple medications are most at risk of preventable hospitalization due to medication errors as they are more likely to be confused or less informed about their treatment regime. One way to clarify your medicines and ensure you are receiving optimal therapy is to have a Home Medication Review or HMR.
A HMR involves our pharmacists and your doctor. We will request a HMR from your doctor who will then authorise an expertly trained accredited pharmacist to conduct the review. An accredited pharmacist is someone who has completed additional training in home medicine reviews. The pharmacist will arrange a suitable time to visit you, preferably in the comfort of your own home, to discuss your medicines.
This uninterrupted one-on-one discussion will allow you to discuss your medicines and any problems or questions you may have. You may even have other family members with you so that everyone has a clearer understanding of your medicines and how you should be taking them.
The accredited pharmacist may discuss things such as the following:
- How to take your medicines correctly.
- Why and when you need to take them.
- Where you should store your medicines.
- What to expect when taking them.
- What problems you should report to your doctor or to our pharmacists.
- They may clarify any confusion you may have with generic medicines.
- They might explain some useful techniques for remembering to take your medicines.
- They may also check all your prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines and vitamins and whether they are appropriate to take together.
The accredited pharmacist will then send a report to your doctor who will then review the information and may make changes to improve or simplify your medication regimen.
So who should have a home medicines review? Anyone may request a HMR but they are particularly useful for those who:
- Take more than five medicines a day, or take medicines at multiple times during the day.
- Have recently spent time in hospital.
- Are concerned or confused about their medicines.
- Do not always remember to take their medicines.
A home medicine review is completely free of charge as it is funded by Medicare. At Michael’s Health Care Chemists we have conducted many HMRs and have found them to be beneficial to the person taking the medicine, as well as their family. An HMR is a simple process which clarifies medicine use and helps prevent potential medication errors. If you or a family member thinks they may benefit from a HMR please speak to one of our pharmacists either by phone, email or in person at our Claremont, North Perth or Wembley stores.
In Store Medication Review
Our Pharmacists can conduct a mini medication review to answer any questions you may have. We will also give you the information to take home to review in your own time.
Prescription Follow Up
Our Pharmacists can phone you at an agreed time to make sure you are getting the best outcomes with a recent medication.