Medication Management Review – a solution to WHO’s Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm?

Presentation abstract

In many ageing communities, medicine use in people with multiple conditions is increasing, but is associated with considerable preventable medication-related harm. As experts in the use of medicines, pharmacists are well placed to help facilitate the responsible use of medicines, by providing professional pharmaceutical services such as medication review to optimize the use of medicines. Medication management review is now an embedded process in most pharmacy curricula and an established service in numerous health care systems across the globe, however this has not always been the case.  This presentation will span the development of the Home Medicines Review programme (MBS item 900) in Australia, with a focus on the professional contribution of pharmacists. The utilization of pharmacists’ professional skills in medication management services, represents a major paradigm shift for the profession, which has, for long, had a reputation (simply) for the compounding and dispensing of medicines. It is becoming abundantly clear that professional pharmacy services can and do make a difference to health care. Hence future efforts should continue to build evidence for and implement services representing the full scope of pharmacy practice, for the benefit of consumers and health care systems.

Brief biography

Tim Chen is a registered pharmacist (>30 yrs) and is the Professor of Medication Management, School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Australia. Tim is Head of Pharmacy Practice and Health Services Research, and co-lead for primary health care. Tim is an experienced health services researcher, educator and supervisor, having completed supervision of 19 PhDs, co-authored >190 papers (Google Scholar H-Index = 53) and given 70 invited presentations in 26 countries.  Internationally, Tim serves on the Board of Pharmaceutical Practice, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and is President, Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section.  Tim’s seminal work in medication review directly informed the Australian Commonwealth Government funded Home Medicines Review programme (MBS item 900). Tim has received Faculty, University and Australian Government awards for teaching. Tim is a FIP Fellow, co-chair for the next International Social Pharmacy Workshop (August 2022) and a member of the Australian Pharmacy Council Accreditation Committee.