WHAT IS A

HOME MEDICINES REVIEW?

Do you take any prescribed medicines, vitamins, supplements, natural remedies or other over the counter medicines?

Have you ever wondered how they work together? Are there any harmful combinations? Can one medicine enhance another one?

Did you know that even vitamins in certain doses and certain combination may be toxic to you?

Each year, over 230,000 Australians end up in hospital due to problems caused by their medicines. At least 50% of these could have been avoided through better medicine management.

The Home Medicines Review Program was introduced into the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) in 2001.

The aim of the Program is to achieve safe and effective use of medicines, by detecting and addressing problems that may prevent the best health outcomes for the patient.

A Home Medicines Review can help you to gain knowledge and understanding of the medicines you are using and how they work. With the help of your GP and pharmacist, you can become an active participant in the decisions that support your healthcare plan.

Don’t risk a trip to hospital that could have been avoided. Stop dosing in the dark and organise a Home Medicines Review to help you manage your healthcare.

HOW DOES A

HOME MEDICINES REVIEW WORK?

Step 1: Eligible Patient
At the Doctor
Your GP will talk with you about the possible benefits of a Home Medicines Review and let you know if you are Eligible for the free service.
Find Out More About Eligible Patients
Step 2: Doctor Referral
The Referral
The Referral will describe your current medicines and dosage, and include other relevant information such as medical conditions and test results.   Your information will be transferred through a secure system, ensuring your privacy is maintained at all times.
Step 3: Home Visit
At the Home Review
At your agreed appointment time, the expert Pharmacist will visit you in the comfort and privacy of your home to discuss and record:
  • all medications (prescription and non-prescription) being taken
  • how, when and why they are taken
  • how the medications are stored
  • how well you understand the medications and their effect
  • the use of any devices for administering medicines
You can ask questions, raise concerns and gain clarification, with the confidence of receiving expert knowledge in a safe, relaxed environment.
Step 4: Report to Doctor
The Results
The Pharmacist will use the information from the Home Review, along with your health history and experiences, to produce a report for your doctor. This report will highlight any issues and make recommendations to improve your health outcomes.
Step 5: Create Care Plan
Back at the Doctor
In your followup consultation with your doctor, the report can be discussed and plans put in place to overcome any problems that were identified and to integrate the input of the Pharmacist into your comprehensive healthcare plan.

BENEFITS OF A

HOME MEDICINES REVIEW