Not For Profit Goodwin Aged Care Services was the first in Australia to employ a pharmacist in an aged care home in 2018, following a trial with the University of Canberra.
Now the Federal Budget has allocated $345.7 million in funding to support the role of embedded pharmacists in residential care to improve medication management.
“This is something that we strongly advocated for in our submission to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in early 2019 as a way of improving the physical and mental wellbeing for all residents in aged care,” said Liesel Wett, Chair of the Board of Directors for Goodwin Aged Care Services.
Goodwin, based in Farrer, Canberra, employed full-time pharmacist Kirolos Wasef (pictured above) independently and with no external funding, as a result of the study, having seen the benefits first-hand.
“Improvements and time reductions in medication rounds which allows carers to spend more time with residents, better communication with families and other health professionals, and earlier identification of side effects have all been wonderful outcomes, and there are many more,” CEO Sue Levy said.
“The care staff feel more supported. They receive more training and education which allows them to be more confident in their roles, and they always know they have a professional to consult if they have any questions or uncertainties.”
Great to see the government is ensuring this role can become a reality for other providers.
