MedAdvisor medical management platform, which aids adherence to medication regimes may help keep elderly patients out of aged care, according to MedAdvisor Chief Executive Officer Robert Read.
Speaking ahead of APP2022, Mr Read says that being unable to manage medications safely at home is one of the reasons people may end up in aged care and this is where the MedAdvisor app and medication reminder service can help.
At the user level, the app allows people to set reminders to take their medicine and refill their prescriptions.
MedAdvisor has also found that their technology has increased by 20% the likelihood of a patient taking their medication as prescribed.
The app also stores prescriptions digitally and users can order refills through their pharmacy ahead of their visit to avoid waiting times.
“But the inability to properly manage medication by either forgetting to take it at the right time and frequency, or not refilling prescriptions in a timely manner can have serious consequences,” says Mr Read.
“Elderly patients’ conditions can deteriorate quickly and they end up needing a greater level of care, which often means moving to an aged-care facility.”
Mr Read says that the platform – the digital prescription wallet – is also beneficial for those who may be away from their regular pharmacy, to have access to their prescriptions.
“The pandemic also showed us that technology and remote access were integral in keeping our lives and economy going,” says Mr Read.
Digitisation of medical records helping pharmacies
Mr Read says that at the pharmacy level the platform can help reduce problems associated with “oversight of patients’ medication regimes, their medication supplies, and any possible issues with other prescribed medications”.
MedAdvisor has also helped general practitioners and pharmacies manage the delivery of medicine and patient care in the aged care sector.
“We have a system or a module of our software that allows the pharmacist to easily connect with GPs that are prescribing to a particular aged care home,” says Mr Read.
“That communication pathway takes a significant amount of time out of ordering scripts and managing scripts at a pharmacy end and equally at the doctor end.
“Doctors can prepare scripts far more quickly when compared to manually writing scripts for 30, 40, or 50 residents a month at a particular facility.”
