Pharmacists who regularly pack medication for aged care residents into webster packs free of charge are concerned that the introduction of 60-day dispensing will mean they can no longer afford to offer that complimentary service.
Now, the Aged Care Quality Commissioner, Janet Anderson, and the Deputy Secretary of Ageing and Aged Care Group at the Department of Health and Aged Care, Michael Lye, have written jointly to residential care providers saying they have been “made aware of instances where pharmacy charges for medication packaging and delivery are being passed on to permanent aged care residents” and to “remind” them of their legally required medication management responsibilities.
Aged care homes must “have a medication administration system in place to ensure the safe administration of medication to the right residents in the correct quantities at the correct times,” they wrote.
The costs are covered by the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model and “cannot be passed onto the resident,” they say.
“If you have a commercial arrangement in place with a specific pharmacy, and the pharmacy requests any changes (such as increase their fees), you may wish to consider alternative pharmacies to supply medications to manage costs,” the letter states.
The letter concludes with a reminder that the regulator may take “enforcement action” if providers do not meet their legal requirements.
The SOURCE: If residents are being asked to pay higher charges for their medications, providers are being advised to change pharmacies. How feasible is this?
