TEN residential aged care facilities in Gippsland will have access to an IMPREST system to improve end-of-life care with timely medications, thanks to a grant from Gippsland Primary Health Network (PHN).
An IMPREST system allows registered health practitioners to access prescription medications including those used for people receiving palliative care.
Medications are supplied to an aged care facility as ‘ward stock’ rather than for a specific resident.
They include antibiotics, pain relief and other medications.
The initiative is part of the federal government’s Greater Choices for At Home Palliative Care measure to improve palliative care coordination in a person’s home or in aged care facilities.
Many aged care facilities in Gippsland are already using the IMPREST system.
This Gippsland PHN initiative has boosted the numbers to 94 per cent – the highest percentage of aged care facilities in any region in Australia to have an end of life medication system on site.
Gippsland PHN chief executive, Amanda Proposch, said establishment of an IMPREST system in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) had already shown to provide many benefits.
“It can help mitigate a shortage of essential medications when prescribed medications are not accessible, with general practitioners and locums also able to prescribe medications available on site and without delay,” Ms Proposch said
“Admissions to emergency departments for medication for pain management and similar can be lessened by implementation of an IMPREST system.”
In 2020/21, 1568 or 1.3 per cent of total emergency department (ED) presentations for Gippsland residents were for people with a RACF as their usual residence. This equates to almost half of all people within an RACF being admitted to ED in 2020/21.
The Gippsland Palliative Care Consortium will provide guidance and support to RACFs in meeting the regulatory processes required in establishing and implementing an IMPREST system. It will also provide education and support to registered nurses who will be accessing end-of-life medications via the IMPREST system.
Palliative aged care and disability resource nurse with the Gippsland Region Palliative Care Consortium, Carol Barbeler, said the project would address one of the barriers to ensuring that people had access to palliative care when and where they needed it.
“This is an important project and the GRPCC is excited to be working with the RACFs who have been successful in the grant process,” Ms Barbeler said.
Ms Proposch said RACFs in Gippsland were already providing quality end-of-life care for their residents.
“We believe this initiative will decrease unnecessary admissions from aged care to Emergency Departments and hospitals in Gippsland.”
