Pilot Program Targets Safer Medication Use in Aged Care
14 Nov 2025
The project, supported by the RACGP, will assess how medications are managed and how clinical care is delivered by pharmacists in these settings — an area long recognised as a source of preventable harm.
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is leading the study using the PHARMA-Care National Quality Framework, developed after the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and endorsed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. The framework is designed to help aged care providers and pharmacists deliver safe, high-quality, and consistent medication care.
Dr Anthony Marinucci, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Aged Care and associate investigator on the project, said the initiative brings together clinicians, pharmacists, and aged care providers to address medication safety systematically. He added the pilot aims to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy, medication-related hospitalisations, and adverse drug events, while improving deprescribing, monitoring, and communication between prescribers and aged care facilities.
Associate Professor Janet Sluggett, UniSA’s Chief Investigator, noted that residents entering aged care today are often frailer and have complex medical histories. She said pharmacists play a crucial role in ensuring medicines are used safely, and the framework gives staff a structured approach to evaluate and improve care, promote discussion with residents and families, and embed person-centred practices.
A 2019 Pharmaceutical Society of Australia study found that 98% of aged care residents experience at least one medication-related problem, with over half taking at least one potentially inappropriate medicine. The RACGP recently endorsed a guideline to help reduce harms from polypharmacy in people aged 65 and over.
The pilot is now recruiting aged care homes and pharmacists to participate. More information is available on UniSA’s website.
Source: newsGP / University of South Australia
