Home Medicines Review: Refining Patient Eligibility Criteria

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, as project manager of a Fifth Pharmacy Community Agreement research program, engaged HMA to make recommendations to refine the eligibility criteria for the Home Medicines Review (HMR) program. HMA used a needs assessment approach involving the identification and triangulation of different measures of need for HMRs: comparative, epidemiological, normative, expressed and felt need to identify who would benefit most from the conduct of an HMR. The objective was to develop eligibility criteria that would enable targeting of the program  to those who would benefit most. This approach involved:

• a situation analysis
• a systematic literature review examining all current available evidence
• extensive consultation with general practitioners, hospital physicians, community pharmacists, accredited pharmacists and peak bodies
• focus groups with consumers and carers
• surveys to health professionals
• comprehensive analysis of program data
• a workshop to assist with the development of options for the refinement of eligibility criteria, and
• a final report.

This project commenced October 2013 and was completed in February 2015. A copy of the final report is available at the link below.

http://6cpa.com.au/resources/fifth-agreement-rd/hmr-refining-patient-eligibility-criteria/