Government puts $96M towards helping aged care providers reduce chemical restraints in 2020-21 in response to Royal Commission Interim Report

The Government has announced it will commit $96.4 million towards the first year of medication management programs for aged care services under its Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA) to cut the use of antipsychotic drugs in aged care – one of three areas highlighted for action by the Royal Commission in last October’s Interim Report.

The Agreement – which will begin next month and be in place until 30 June 2025 – also pledges to match the $25.5 million a year announced by Prime Minister to manage medications in residential care and in home care.

Review of medication is not mandatory, so a person could go months or even years without another review.

The Agreement will also fund the reviews by a pharmacist in a person’s home.

The question is: when the pharmacist and the GP get time to get these reviews? And will aged care operators see any of the funding?