Post discharge, high-risk medication management service in a rural setting

Initiative Type
Redesign
Status
Deliver
Added
Last updated

Summary

The project was conducted as part of the Queensland Allied Health Rural Generalist Pathway Initiative to implement and evaluate a medication management service aimed at supporting patients with their medications in the immediate post discharge period, including linking patients in with their community providers. Patients utilising Atherton Hospital outpatient clinics who were considered at high risk of medication misadventure were also eligible for the service.

The project has successfully navigated healthcare system challenges to deliver change, improvement and innovation in the health service and has presented at the Clinical Excellence Queensland Showcase 2019.

Key dates
Aug 2019
Aug 2019
Implementation sites
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service
Partnerships
Relationships developed with hospital doctors, allied health, community health nurses to encourage referral of patients, These relationships improved communication in general across departments, leading to increased collaboration outside of the project

Aim

To determine the impact on medication misadventure and acute service use of a pharmacist-led post discharge and high-risk medication management service delivered in an outpatient setting and via telehealth into patient’s homes.

Benefits

  • Improved medication adherence from baseline to 6 months.
  • Improved quality of life from baseline to 6 months.
  • Mean number of hospital admissions in the 6 months following pharmacy clinic visits decreased.

Background

The rural generalist service model supports and engages allied health professionals to implement innovative and effective solutions to the challenges of delivering care across geographically dispersed and culturally diverse populations. This aims to support the growth of allied health service models that meet the needs of rural and remote communities.

References

Hanna M, Larmour I, Wilson S, K OL. The impact of a hospital outreach medication review service on hospital readmission and emergency department attendances J Pharm Prac Res. 2016;46:112-21.

Further Reading

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Key contact

Sarah Tinney
Pharmacist
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service
(07) 4091 0573
sarah.tinney@health.qld.gov.au