Overcoming QUM barriers in a rural setting
Yorke Peninsula (rural SA) has a population of 26,000 widely dispersed across seven relatively small towns with low numbers of health professionals (27 GPs and 10 pharmacists). To maximise efficiency and effectiveness of QUM education delivery across the Division, a Project Officer was appointed to closely link and align a wide range of programs into a training platform for General Practice and pharmacy.
Currently a single Project Officer visits each general practice or pharmacy and is able to discuss multiple programs:
* National Prescribing Service (NPS) – commenced 1998 with consultant pharmacists providing 1:1 visits to GPs on therapeutic topics on a regular visiting schedule
* Home Medicine Review (HMR) – since 2003 providing small group meetings for GPs and pharmacists using a NPS case study with HMR focus
* Chronic Disease Management - since 2004, the Project Officer has been working with the GPs, Pharmacists and their staff to communicate their patient’s care though GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements.
* Aged Care GP Panels - Medication Advisory Committees established 2004 to ensure NPS program and QUM principles are extended to Residential Aged Care Facilities
Some positive outcomes of having a dedicated Project Officer doing visits to a multi-disciplined network of service providers have been:
* delivery of a Quality Use of Medicines/Evidence Based Practice program without risking change fatigue
* minimal impact on GP consulting time and Pharmacist’s dispensing time
* support for three pharmacists to become accredited and provide HMRs
* extension of programs to include Enhanced Divisional Quality Use of Medicines Program (EDQUM) in October 2005
* funding for additional QUM activities e.g. NPS Evidence versus hype workshops
* maintaining corporate knowledge and appropriate use of Divisional staff experience, knowledge and working relationships.