National Residential Medication Chart Phased Implementation – Expressions of Interest NOW OPEN
Residential aged care facilities in New South Wales are invited to participate in the National Residential Medication Chart (NRMC) Phased Implementation.
The NRMC Phased Implementation will be conducted from July to the end of December 2012 in NSW. The NRMC Phased Implementation will introduce the NRMC into aged care practice and ensure its appropriateness for national implementation.
Participating residential aged care facilities (RACFs) will be the first facilities in the country to implement this important national initiative and which will enable supply and PBS claiming for most medicines directly from the medication chart. This has the potential to:
- Improve resident safety by standardising medication communications and practice between health professionals working in aged care
- Improve aged care medication work flows including reducing the problem of “owing scripts”, and
- Form a consistent basis for electronic health medicines initiatives in aged care.
Participating RACFs will audit aspects of current medication management, introduce the NRMC for a period of up to five months, and then audit again.
RACFs interested in participating should read the NRMC Phased Implementation Expression of Interest Invitation to determine whether they are eligible to participate. Expressions of interest should be submitted on the NRMC Phased Implementation Expression of Interest form .
Completed expression of interest forms should be emailed to nrmc@safetyandquality.gov.au Enquiries can be directed to Dr Michele Chandler, Executive Project Officer, on 02 9126 3514
Closing date for expressions of interest is: 20 July 2012
Eligibility
Commonwealth-funded RACFs are eligible to participate in the NRMC Phased Implementation.
Due to required changes in most state legislation, only RACFs located in the following NSW regions are eligible to participate in the first stage of national implementation:
- Northern Rivers
- New England
- OranaFar West
- Riverina, and
- Sydney,
RACFs in other regions, state and territories will be able to participate as legislation and associated regulations are changed to allow prescribing directly from the medication chart in aged care.
About the NRMC Phased Implementation
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed the National Residential Medication Chart (NRMC) which is:
- A standard medication prescribing, dispensing and administering chart for use in RACFs;
- Designed to facilitate supply and PBS claiming for most Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines from a medication chart in RACFs (also known as “scriptless prescribing).
The Commission is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing to develop the NRMC. The work forms part of a larger initiative to permit medicines supply and PBS claiming directly from the medication chart.
The aim of NRMC Phased Implementation is to implement and evaluate the first iteration of the NRMC and to ensure its appropriateness for national implementation.
The objectives of the NRMC Phased implementation are to:
- Assess the functionality and usability of the first iteration NRMC in the areas of scriptless prescribing, administration, supply and claiming of PBS/RPBS medicines in selected RACFs in NSW;
- Collect baseline data on the current Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) practices for prescribers, RACF staff and pharmacy staff.
- Assess unintended consequences of the first iteration NRMC;
- Identify areas for improvement in the NRMC design, layout and content.
- Identify areas for improvement in the NRMC support materials such as user and implementation guides.
This in an important national safety and quality initiative which will
- Improve resident safety by standardising medication communications and practice between health professionals working in aged care
- Improve aged care medication work flows including reducing the problem of “owing scripts”, and
- Form a consistent basis for electronic health medicines initiatives in aged care.
Initially, the NRMC will be introduced in selected RACFs in NSW. It will assure the safety and usability aspects of the NRMC and refine it and NRMC supporting documents, such as user guides, through participant feedback on how the chart performs in practice.
Commencement dates will vary between RACFs and will be negotiated to take account of local circumstances such as charting cycles and stakeholder preparedness.
The Commission and selected RACFs will commence preparations for the phased implementation during July 2012.
NRMC Phased Implementation is expected to take up to five months and includes pre and post evaluations and outcomes.
Pending the final report of the phased implementation, the revised version of the NRMC is expected to be available for implementation nationally in early 2013.