In Progress
This is a scaling project supported by the former Better Care Victoria Innovation Fund.
Lead organisation
Alfred Health
Partners
General medical sites:
- Western District Health
- Portland District Health
- South West Health Care
- Colac Area Health
- Albury Wodonga Health
- Northeast Health Wangaratta
- Goulburn Valley Health
- Central Gippsland
- Bairnsdale Regional Health Service
- West Gippsland Health Care Group
- Bass Coast Health
- Ballarat Health Service (BHS)
- Wimmera Health Care Group
Oncology sites:
- Monash Health
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
- Eastern Health
- Barwon Health
- St Vincent’s Hospital
- Royal Melbourne Hospital
Summary
Medication errors are among the most common incidents reported in hospitals and often happen when a patient is admitted to hospital. Failing to record a patient’s medication history accurately can lead to poor health outcomes and increased costs.
The PPMC model sees appropriately credentialed pharmacists work closely with doctors to undertake a medication review and chart medications for nursing staff to administer. In earlier trials, the model has helped reduce medication errors, length of stay and hospital costs.
The PPMC scaling project, led by Alfred Health, aims to implement the model in 20 sites – 13 general medical sites and six oncology sites – by June 2021.
Trial outcomes
In 2015, Alfred Health piloted the PPMC model with support from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Workforce Innovation Grants program. Through this randomised controlled trial, medication errors fell from 35.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent.
In 2016–17, the trial was expanded across five health services (seven hospitals).
Results included:
- reduced proportion of patients with at least one medication error (19.2 per cent to 0.5 per cent)
- reduced length of stay (6.5 days to 5.8 days)
- estimated savings of $726 per PPMC patient, with $1.95 million in total hospital cost savings.
Aims
- Reduce medication errors
- Reduce hospital length of stay
- Improve the capability and capacity of advanced practice roles for pharmacists in regional and rural Victoria
Update
August 2021 - In general medicine units, medication errors fell from 66.7 to 9.5 per cent and average length of stay decreased from 4.8 to 3.7 days. Oncology unit results will be available later in 2021.