How expanded pharmacist roles could ease healthcare strain
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Recent research by Joshua Bennetts, a pharmacist and HMRI Heart and Stroke researcher, highlights the critical role pharmacists can play in easing the transition from hospital to home for patients, potentially reducing the burden on Australia’s healthcare system.
Bennetts’ studies reveal that many patients, especially those with cardiovascular disease, struggle with medication management post-discharge. “Many patients who have cardiovascular disease are overwhelmed by the changes to their medicines and their health status when they leave hospital,” Bennetts explains.
A telehealth trial conducted as part of the research showed promising results. “We ran a medication reconciliation telehealth trial for people with heart failure. In the trial, a pharmacist offered extra education a week after patients were discharged from hospital,” says Bennetts. The patient feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many appreciating the continued care and attention.
The potential impact of expanded pharmacist involvement is significant. According to Bennetts, “Each year in Australia there are around 250,000 hospital admissions and a further 400,000 emergency department presentations due to medication-related problems.” He emphasises that half of these incidents are preventable.
While recent law changes have allowed pharmacists to offer more services, Bennetts argues that there’s room for further expansion. He points out a critical gap in the current system: “In NSW, the guidelines only allow for patients to have a week’s supply of medication when they leave hospital. We know that people can’t always get an appointment with their GP that quickly, so the patients are then running out of their medications.”
Bennetts also highlights an underutilised government-funded program called ‘Domicilary Medication Management Reviews’. This program allows doctors to refer patients for home visits by credentialed pharmacists, providing an important transition-of-care service.
However, Bennetts cautions that increased responsibilities for pharmacists must be accompanied by appropriate support. “Pharmacists are already offering vaccinations, one-day sick leave certificates, assisting with sleep apnea machines and providing advice on medications so if they need to do more, they need to be supported,” he states.
Despite the challenges, Bennetts remains optimistic about the future of pharmacy practice. “As a whole, I feel really buoyant about the increased scope of practice where a pharmacist’s qualification is recognised to its full capacity. It’s a good time to be a pharmacist,” he concludes.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
