Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) has marked a major milestone in improving medicines safety for older residents, successfully facilitating Aged Care On-site Pharmacist (ACOP) implementation workshops at The Good Shepherd Home in Townsville and Mt Kooyong Nursing Home in Julatten, near Cairns.
The interactive sessions were led by NQPHN Older Persons Health team specialists, who worked closely with both homes from the initial concept phase to connecting them with empowered local service providers.
Supported by NQPHN staff, these collaborative workshops were designed to smoothly settle the new embedded clinical pharmacists into their day-to-day roles.
Having a dedicated pharmacist on-site ensures that expert medicine reviews are immediately accessible, significantly reducing medication-related risks and enhancing daily clinical governance.
The Federal Government’s ACOP initiative was introduced by the Australian Government in response to Recommendation 38 of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, directly supporting the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards.
Unlike traditional visiting pharmacist services that operate on limited review cycles, an on-site pharmacist becomes a permanent, integrated member of the multidisciplinary care team.
This model provides continuous follow-up on medication changes, timely clinical reviews, and proactive interventions that help prevent emergency hospital transfers.
The Good Shepherd Home Chief Executive Officer Brian Matthews welcomed the integration of the new on-site service.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome a full-time, on-site pharmacist to our care team,” said Mr Matthews.
“Managing the complex healthcare needs of our large 245-bed facility requires constant vigilance, and having access to the additional clinical expertise of a dedicated pharmacist opens the door to a whole range of improvements for both residents and staff.
“We envisage our pharmacist will liaise with nursing staff and GPs to actively target polypharmacy and systematically reduce unnecessary or conflicting medications.
“Beyond individual medication reviews, it is hoped this role will help reduce medication errors by reviewing and improving our internal procedures, support staff in complying with strict dispensing criteria for time-sensitive medications, assist with infection control practices, and drive higher vaccination uptake among both residents and staff.
“We greatly appreciate the support we’ve received from NQPHN and look forward to the positive impact this integrated clinical care model will bring to our Home.”
Similarly, Mt Kooyong Nursing Home Director of Nursing Eleni Constantine highlighted the value the program brings to residents on the Atherton Tablelands and their families.
“The program facilitates current best practice with medications in residential aged care,” said Ms Constantine.
“In the ever-changing world of medications in aged care, direct access to current and trending pharmacology minimises errors and maximises the effectiveness of any medication changes.”
The funding model allows pharmacists to be on-site anywhere from one to five days per week, strictly scaled according to the total bed capacity of the home, ensuring that residents’ needs are precisely matched with dedicated professional hours.
NQPHN remains committed to guiding local aged care homes through recruitment, onboarding, and integration.
By connecting homes with community pharmacies and sharing best-practice tools, the Older Persons Health team ensures that regional aged care teams are fully equipped to deliver person-centred, multidisciplinary care.
Aged care homes interested in learning more about integrating an eligible on-site pharmacist can contact the NQPHN Older Persons Health team at ophapc@nqphn.com.au