Pharmacy trial to support patients with chronic pain

The Turnbull Government is providing $20 million to run a new trial program, through community pharmacies across Australia, which will support people suffering from on-going chronic pain. 
 
Under the Pain MedsCheck trial pharmacists will assist patients who are taking medication to deal with on-going chronic pain of three or more months. 
 
Through the trial a pharmacist will evaluate a patient’s medicine and the pain management program, ensuring it is supporting their clinical need and providing the best support.
  
The Pain MedsCheck trial will be managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. 
 
It will involve professional pharmacist face to face consultations with patients to review their medication and analgesic use and develop a written action plan, incorporating education, self-management and referral to doctors or other experts where additional support is required.
 
All community pharmacies will be able to participate in this service. 
 
Community pharmacies participating in the trial will build relationships with GPs and other health professionals who support patients with chronic pain.
 
This trial will be focused on improving the lives of the thousands of Australians who face the daily battle of chronic pain. 
 
It is estimated that one in five Australians live with chronic pain, and for people over 65 that rises to one in three. 
 
Evidence shows that patients who actively engage in self-management techniques report lower levels of pain-related disability, as well as improvements in mood, better general health and a reduced use of medicines.
This is part of the Turnbull Government’s pharmacy trials programs, which seek to improve the health of Australian patients. 
 
We believe deeply in the role of community pharmacies and they play a key role in our world-class health system.  
 
This new trial will complement existing activities being undertaken ahead of changes to the availability of codeine that occurs on 1 February 2018. 
 
This is in addition to the Turnbull Government’s investment of over $1 million to ensure health practitioners and consumers are informed about changes to accessing codeine-containing medicines. 
 
(ENDS)