The Turnbull Government will expand a community pharmacy program which enables Australians to better manage their prescription medicine, benefitting an additional 70,000 Australians a week.
The Dose Administration Aids (DAA) program involves community pharmacists preparing patient specific, sealed, tamper resistant devices that are designed to help individual patients take their medicines exactly as prescribed.
This program increases adherence levels and helps patients taking multiple medications avoid potential medication misadventure.
Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the Government’s successful DAA program will be expanded from 1 July 2018 meaning pharmacists can provide an additional 3.8 million individual services to patients across Australia each year.
“Pharmacies play an important role in our community. More than 80 per cent of community pharmacies are registered to provide DAAs and they are helping patients take the right medication at the right time,” Minister Hunt said.
“Under the expanded DAA program, the number of services available to patients will increase by about 70,000 to 380,000 per week.”
Liberal candidate for Braddon Brett Whiteley welcomed the announcement and said it will allow community pharmacists in Braddon to help more local patients, especially the elderly and chronically ill patients.
“The expansion of this service will help local pharmacists ensure more patients avoid hospitalisation and other problems that can arise when medicines are not taken as directed,” Mr Whiteley said.
In the 2017—18 Budget, the Government allocated $825 million over three years to community pharmacies to support and improve Australians’ access to medicines. This included $340 million over three years for the DAA program.