Quality Use of Medicines is Not an Outdated Concept

A panel of representatives from across the health and medicines sector has agreed at the opening plenary session of  the National Medicines Symposium (NMS) 2014 that quality use of medicines is not an outdated concept.
NPS MedicineWise CEO Dr Lynn Weekes says  consumers need to continue to be at the centre of health care, and that technology needs to be harnessed to reinvent the way we think about health care delivery.
“Consumers make decisions every day about how they use the sophisticated technologies that are medicines – and often they do this without any kind of manual or training,” she says.
“It is up to those of us working in the sector to harness technology and look to whole new ideas and disruptive ways of using that technology that will reinvent the way we think about health care and its delivery, to improve health outcomes for everyone – but in particular, for the most vulnerable in our communities.
“We also need better coordination across health settings, which includes better use of data.
“The sector needs to look for partnerships and creative ideas outside of its normal sphere that will take us to solutions we need.”
Dr Weekes identified several ‘old chestnuts’ of medicines issues that continue to challenge the sector, including antimicrobial stewardship, overuse of hypnosedatives, issues around reconciliation of medicines, and continuity of care between health care settings.
The National Medical Symposium will continue today and tomorrow (22 and 23 May) in Brisbane.