The AMA proudly supports the week which first launched last year and was led by the SHPA.
MedsAware 2024: Deprescribing Action Week - led by the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia - (SHPA) starts next week. The AMA is proud to be supporting the week along with other medical, pharmacy and consumer stakeholders, including the RACGP and the Council on the Ageing (COTA).
MedsAware: Deprescribing Action Week was launched last year and aims to drive conversations about discontinuing medicines that are no longer required, or for which the risk of harm outweighs the benefits for the consumer.
With this year's theme 'Ask because you care' and spotlighting psychotropic medicines, MedsAware 2024 seeks to empower older Australians, Australians living with a disability, and their carers, to ask health professionals: "Could any of these medicines be doing more harm than good?". It is also an opportunity to raise awareness amongst our members and drive conversations with your colleagues and patients.
Recently, we heard evidence from Royal Commissions into Aged Care and Disability sectors about the prevalence of inappropriate use of psychotropic medicines for challenging behaviours, where the duration of therapy could and should have been shorter, or non-pharmacological interventions should have been considered first.
SHPA is also holding a MedsAware: Deprescribing Webinar taking place on Wed 20th March, which will be hosted by Dr Justin Turner from the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety at Monash University. Registration is complementary.
Members are encouraged to get involved with MedsAware 2024 and spread the message with your networks using the #MedsAware hashtag.
