ONCALL SACARE Partners with Choice Aged Care

ONCALL SACARE and Choice Aged Care are proud to announce their strategic partnership aimed at revolutionising medication safety and the quality use of medicines for clients.

Choice Aged Care's national team of dedicated clinical pharmacists have collaborated to address recommendations from the Royal Commission into violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of people with a disability. This initiative leverages their purpose-built MediBuddy™ software – a consumer-centric clinical tool that provides organisations and their clients with unique medication safety support. MediBuddy™ offers risk identification, intervention guidance, and oversight to enhance the well-being of individuals with disabilities.

Choice Aged Care's Commitment to Improving Disability Support Services

Choice Aged Care, Australia's largest clinical pharmacy services provider, is renowned for its expertise in managing risks, providing education, training, and supporting the independence and safety of individual consumers with their medication use.

 From July, legislative changes will require many home care service providers to seek clinical pharmacy support for provision of quality medicine management, accountability, and evidence-based practices regarding medication safety.

ONCALL SACARE's Proactive Approach to Medication Safety 

While the disability sector is yet to be included in this legislative umbrella, embracing this approach aligns perfectly with ONCALL SACARE's forward-thinking and best-practice ethos. Their proactive stance will be championed by Choice Aged Care, assisting the organisation in implementing a coordinated, evidence-based approach to medication safety, thereby supporting ONCALL SACARE's clients more effectively.

Key Benefits of the Partnership:

•        Clinical Pharmacy Support: Engaging a national team of specialist pharmacists to offer free, in-home medication reviews and on-call support for all ONCALL SACARE’s clients and staff.*

•        Client-Centric Care: Empowering clients through health education, aligning their medicines with health goals, enhancing engagement with care teams and simplifying medication regimens.

•        Evidence-Based Approach to Reducing Chemical Restraint: Ensuring a coordinated response to medication safety and oversight in line with Royal Commission's recommendations by addressing the prevalence of inappropriate chemical restraint and psychotropic use within the disability community.  

•        Reducing Medicine-related Adverse Events and Hospitalisations: Aiming to reduce hospital admissions due to medication misadventure—an issue responsible for over 250,000 admissions annually in Australia.[1] [2] 

•        Staff Training and Support: Provision of training (online and face-to-face via our pharmacists and/or RTOs) and availability of a clinical pharmacist to assist with medication management related queries for staff as they seek to provide the best possible care for their clients.

A Blue Print for Best Practice in Medication Safety System

Looking ahead, the partnership aims to deploy a comprehensive system capable of identifying risks, guiding, and supporting medication safety interventions, and monitoring their outcomes across various contexts. This will not only support clients and support workers but also enhance ONCALL SACARE’s supportive culture and establish a blueprint for best practice for medication safety within the disability sector.

For more information on this groundbreaking partnership and its impact on medication safety, please contact:

Michael Scalley
Email: michael.scalley@choiceagedcare.com.au

Email: emily.woolford@sacare.com.au

About ONCALL SACARE

ONCALL SACARE is committed to providing exceptional support services through peace of mind to individuals in the Disability and Child, Youth, and Family sectors, ensuring safety, quality, and client-centric care.

About Choice Aged Care

Choice Aged Care is Australia's leading clinical pharmacy services provider, specialising in managing risks, education, and safety in medication use, driven by a team of dedicated accredited pharmacists passionate about improving lives.

Guiding principles for medication management in the community (2022):

Guiding principles for medication management in the community | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care