Making surgery safer with an Australian-first perioperative medicines resource

Advanced Pharmacy Australia is proud to lead the development of Australia’s first comprehensive Perioperative Medicines Resource, funded through the Australian Government’s Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program. This evidence-based, nationally endorsed online platform will improve medication management before, during and after surgery, supporting safer surgical care across Australia. The Safer Surgery: Optimising Perioperative Medicines Use project aims to close critical knowledge gaps among healthcare professionals, enhance patient outcomes and strengthen collaboration. A range of accredited educational programs — including online courses and live webinars — will accompany the resource to support professional development.

Currently, Australia sees nearly 3 million surgical admissions annually, with about 2.5 million elective surgeries.¹ Over one-third involve patients aged 65 and older, many of whom face complex medication regimens.² Medicines are already the fourth most common cause of hospital-acquired complications,³ highlighting the urgent need for targeted perioperative medicines guidance. Despite this, Australia lacks a centralised, evidence-based resource specifically addressing perioperative medication management across the full surgical journey. This gap often leads to uncertainty among healthcare professionals, increasing the risk of medication-related harm.

The new resource will complement existing national references such as the Australian Injectable Drugs Handbook and Don’t Rush to Crush+ by focusing on the underserved perioperative setting. It will directly support the national Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) objectives, promoting safer, patient-centred care. Perioperative medication management is a high-risk area for adverse drug events, contributing to approximately 230,000 hospital admissions annually.³ By providing up-to-date, accessible guidelines, the Safer Surgery project will support more than 81,000 healthcare professionals — including nurses, pharmacists, GPs, surgeons, anaesthetists, dietitians, dentists and students — working across perioperative care.

A key focus will be the safe and effective use of analgesics, particularly opioids, aligning with the Australian Government’s National Health Priority Area for Pain Management established in 2019. Through collaboration, innovation and evidence-based strategies, the Safer Surgery project will help reduce adverse events and improve patient safety and outcomes across Australia’s surgical landscape.

Kristin Michaels, Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha).

^{1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s welfare 2023: in brief. Cat. no AUS 245. September 7, 2023. [Internet] Canberra (AU): AIHW;2023. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/australias-welfare-2023-in-brief/summary}

^{2. Page AT, Falster MO, Litchfield M, Pearson SA, Etherton-Beer C. Polypharmacy among older Australians, 2006–2017: a population-based study. Med J Aust. 2019;211(2):71–75. doi: 10.5694/mja2.50244}

^{3. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Hospital-acquired complications information kit. March 2018. [Internet] Sydney (AU): ACSQHC;2018. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/Short-Hospital-Acquired-Complications-Factsheets-all-HACs.pdf}

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