Medication misadventure is a continuing concern for the thousands of nurses working in the residential aged care sector. Now National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is developing a suite of no-cost quality improvement tools to assist nurses in the quest for best practice.

NPS CEO Dr Lynn Weekes said there were two current Drug Use Evaluation (DUE) toolkits available. The first focuses on reviewing the use of hypnotics (benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine) in treating insomnia, while the second centres on antipsychotic drugs in behavioural disturbance of dementia. “A third DUE toolkit, regarding analgesia, will be released via the NPS website later this year,” she added.

The NPS DUE toolkits provide localised activities to promote quality use of medicines (QUM), compare current drug use against best practice and guide aged care facilities towards making changes that enhance the health of aged care residents. Each toolkit contains practical information on how to undertake the DUE quality activity. Nurses can contact NPS for assistance if required.

“A member of the nursing staff may lead the project and collect the initial data, but a multidisciplinary team approach is ideal for successfully completing a DUE – preferably with a pharmacist, GP, Medication Advisory Committee or quality group to assist and advise during the process,” Dr Weekes said. Participation also assists facilities to meet requirements for the Residential Aged Care Accreditation Standards (administered by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd).

Nurses should register their participation online, then return to the website upon completion of the DUE to answer the post-activity evaluation. Following evaluation, DUE activity qualifies for Continuing Nurse Education points from the Royal College of Nursing Australia. The toolkits are downloadable at www.nps.org.au/healthpro

ENDS

NPS is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. For more information about the NPS DUE toolkits contact Aine Heaney at NPS on (02) 8217 8700 or via email.