Providing Medicines Information and the Quality Use of Medicines

Topics include:

• Overview of medicine regulation in Australia
• Easily accessible and reliable sources of information about medicines
• Barriers to patient education and medicine compliance and the best way to convey information

Target audience

Health professionals who routinely administer medicines.

Purpose

Provide health professionals with a general update on credible sources of medicine information and the quality use of medicines.

Need

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has identified improving the safety and quality of medication in Australia as one of its key priorities. Constant changes are made to medication standards, recommendations, guidelines, and to the availability of new products and advancement in research and product development. It is essential that nurses keep up-to-date with these changes and understand how medicines are regulated and how the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) can be used to improve patient outcomes. It is equally important that nurses and midwives can identify high quality sources of drug information to ensure that the most appropriate medications are administered.

Health professionals in Australia that are registered with AHPRA are required to obtain continuing professional development (CPD) hours/points each year that relates to their context of practice, in order to comply with mandatory regulatory requirements.