Home Medicines Review
A Home Medicines Review (HMR) is a free service to help you get the most out of your medications. Under this service, an accredited pharmacist will visit you at home to review all your medicines, check for any issues, and answer your questions. After the visit, they’ll send a report to your doctor with suggestions to support your health and safety.
Eligibility
To access this service, your doctor needs to write a referral to a participating pharmacist. Once the referral is made, your pharmacist will help organise the rest for you.
To be eligible to participate in the Home Medicines Review, you must meet all of the following criteria:
Hold a current Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card
Live in a community setting
Are at risk of, or are experiencing, medication misadventure
The referring Medical Practitioner (i.e. your GP) confirms that there is an identifiable clinical need for a HMR Service.
When should you consider asking your GP about your eligibility for the program?
You may be eligible if you:
are currently prescribed five (5) or more medications,
have experienced a recent medical event or
have had a recent hospitalisation.
How screening works
1. Referral from your GP
Your doctor will talk to you about your medicines and, if needed, write a referral for an home medicines review.
2. The pharmacist will organise the review
Once the pharmacist receives the referral, they will contact you to arrange a convenient time for an accredited pharmacist to visit you at home.
3. In-home review
The pharmacist will sit down with you to go through all your prescription, over-the-counter, and complementary medicines. They’ll check for any potential issues and answer any questions you have.
4. Report to your GP
The pharmacist writes a report with suggestions to help manage your medicines better. This is sent back to your doctor, who may follow up with changes or advice.
5. Follow-up
If needed, your doctor may request a follow-up review within 9 months of your original home medicines review. This helps ensure any changes are working well and gives you a chance to ask more questions. Only one follow-up home medicines review is allowed within that time.
For more information, visit the Australian government website https://www.ppaonline.com.au/programs/medication-management-programs/home-medicines-review or click the link below.