How a pharmacy becomes a HMR service provider

Owners of a community pharmacy approved to supply pharmaceutical benefits under section 90 of the National Health Act 1953 can become approved HMR service providers if they meet specific criteria including access to an accredited pharmacist, in the application form.

Medication management review facilitators

Medication management review facilitators are responsible for promoting the HMR to each professional group through personal visits, organising combined education and information sessions, and liaising between accredited pharmacists and pharmacy owners. The facilitators can be contacted through the divisions of general practice.

Patient eligability

A general practitioner must assess that a review of a patient living at home is clinically necessary to ensure the quality use of medicines or to address a patient’s needs. Examples of risk factors include patients:

• currently taking five or more regular medications
• taking more than 12 doses of medication per day
• with significant changes to their medication regimen in the last three months, including recent discharge from hospital
• taking medication with a narrow therapeutic index or required therapeutic monitoring
• with symptoms suggestive of an adverse drug reaction
• having difficulty managing their own medicines because of literacy or language difficulties, impaired sight
• attending a number of different doctors, both general practitioners and specialists

The HMR service is not available to in-patients of a hospital, day hospital facility or care recipients in residential aged-care facilities.

Confidentiality

All information is confidential. The information from the patient’s record can only be given to the pharmacist conducting the review, with the patient’s consent. Input from each person involved in the review process is documented in the review report, as well as the recommendations and management plan.

The general practitioner will hold a copy and the consumer’s pharmacy will keep a full record for auditing purposes. Pharmacy should be informed of how many years this documentation is to be kept for example, seven years.

Source : http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au