Medication-related errors are responsible for 250,000 hospital admissions in Australia each year, costing the health system an estimated $1.4 billion.
Now, a new national framework is targeting the critical failure point where over half of these errors occur: the transition of patients between hospitals and primary or aged care.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has released its Medication Management at Transitions of Care Stewardship Framework, providing the first coordinated, hospital-based approach to manage medicines during this high-risk period.
The framework aims to identify high-risk patients—such as those over 65, taking five or more medications, or seeing multiple prescribers—and implement a “stewardship model” that includes comprehensive medication reconciliation, regular reviews, and better discharge planning.
Dr Phoebe Holdenson Kimura, Medical Advisor for the Commission, said the framework is an opportunity for health services to build on their existing systems.
“We know that a lot of hospitals are very good at mitigating risk for medication error. The release of this Framework creates an opportunity for health services to review and build on their approaches,” Dr Holdenson Kimura said.
“The Framework is designed to be incorporated into existing systems and clinical practice to enhance medication governance, improve communication, and facilitate timely, collaborative post-discharge medication review, especially for high-risk and vulnerable patients.”
Dr Holdenson Kimura, a general practitioner, stressed that improving communication between hospitals and a patient’s local GP is fundamental.
“At our clinic, we always welcome a phone call to the GP or practice nurse from the treating team before a patient is discharged back into our care. This allows a conversation where significant medication changes can be identified, and I see the patient within days of their discharge to reduce risk of medication-related harm,” she said.
Success, however, will depend heavily on technology. “Digital enablement will be key to realising the full potential of the Framework – but these digital tools need to be interoperable to enable accurate and timely communication,” Dr Holdenson Kimura said.
She added this includes “standardised electronic discharge summaries” delivered securely at the time of discharge and uploaded to electronic health records, such as My Health Record.
The Commission hopes the new model will become as embedded as other successful programs.
“It would be fantastic to see the adoption and implementation of this medication management stewardship model embedded in Australian hospitals – similar to the antimicrobial and opioid stewardship models – to improve patient care,” she said.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
