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Quality Use of Medicines

Strategies designed to improve systems for quality use of medicines in patient care are part of major clinical quality and patient safety initiatives both nationally and internationally. Hunter New England Local Health Network (HNELHN) has established policies and procedures to support clinical staff and managers in relation to medication management and systems to identify, act upon and minimise risks and adverse events associated with medication

 

The National Strategy for the Quality Use of Medicines  Department of Health and Ageing (DHA) 2002 states that Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) means three things:
 
1. Selecting management options wisely by: 

  • Considering the place of medicines in treating illness and maintaining health,
  • Recognising that there may be better ways than medicine to manage many disorders.

 

2. Choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary so that the best available option is selected by taking into account: 

  • The individual
  • The clinical condition
  • Risks and benefits
  • Dosage and length of treatment
  • Any co-existing conditions
  • Other therapies
  • Monitoring considerations
  • Costs for the individual, the community and the health system as a whole.

 

3. Using medicines safely and effectively to get the best possible results by: 

  • Monitoring outcomes,
  • Minimising misuse, over-use and under-use, and
  • Improving people’s ability to solve problems related to medication, such as negative effects or managing multiple medications.

 

Hunter New England Local Health Network (HNELHN) Quality Use of Medicines Committee

The purpose of the HNELHN Quality Use of Medicines Committee (AQUM) is to provide a forum for the planning, development, implementation, and monitoring of safe and appropriate quality use of medicines strategies and practices for use within HNELHN. Click here to access the QUM Committee Charter including committee membership.


 

The HNELHN Quality Use of Medicines Committee maintains a major focus on medication safety via the following initiatives: 

  • National Inpatient Medication Chart Support and Auditing
  • Medication Safety Self-Assessment (MSSA)
  • Medication incident monitoring
  • Medication Safety Alerts
  • Guidelines for High-risk medications such as
    • Potassium  - under review
    • Anticoagulants - local working party
    • Chemotherapy - improvement in prescribing practices
    • Insulin and glycaemic management - NSW and national charts pending
  • Standardisation of Schedule 8 & 4 drug audits in HNE Health

 

The Hunter Drug Information Service provides information on medications to health professionals working within Hunter New England Health Service. Click here to find out more about the Hunter Drug Information Service.

 

Key contacts for HNELHN Quality Use of Medicines are below

Clinical Governance is working in collaboratin with HNELHN Pharmacy by assisting clinical facilites and units in the analysis of medication incident data trend data.  For this information, please see the following;
http://hne.health.nsw.gov.au/cg/clinical_practice_improvement/quality_use_medicines

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