A federal government commitment to national health priorities will see improvements in the safe use of medicines.
This will come under a $25 million federal government allocation to national health priorities.
The funds will be disbursed through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). They are set to support research grants focused on medicine safety improvement in communities.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt says that community pharmacy programs negotiated with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia earlier this year have been finalised, including reforms to the Dose Administration Aids program.
Under the changes, the program will be expanded from a base cap of 30 services per week to 60, which will result in an increased number of pharmacists administering medicine doses to patients each week.
The Department of Health says the commitment will expand the Preventative and Public Health Research initiative that addresses risk factors contributing to chronic and complex diseases in Australia.
The funding coincides with a vaccination program announced on National Pharmacists Day to combat Covid-19.
Home delivery of medicines has also been extended for a further six months during the pandemic to support vulnerable Australians.
