NMS 2014: Experts agree that quality use of medicines is not an outdated concept

“Consumers make decisions every day about how they use the sophisticated technologies that are medicines – and often they do this without any kind of manual or training,” she says.

“It is up to those of us working in the sector to harness technology and look to whole new ideas and disruptive ways of using that technology that will reinvent the way we think about health care and its delivery, to improve health outcomes for everyone – but in particular, for the most vulnerable in our communities.

“We also need better coordination across health settings, which includes better use of data.

“The sector needs to look for partnerships and creative ideas outside of its normal sphere that will take us to solutions we need.”

Dr Weekes identified several ‘old chestnuts’ of medicines issues that continue to challenge the sector, including antimicrobial stewardship, overuse of hypnosedatives, issues around reconciliation of medicines, and continuity of care between health care settings.

She also invited delegates to get involved with an Innovation Studio initiative on site at NMS 2014 to generate new ideas to address the medicines challenges we face now and into the future.

A video of consumer voices was launched this afternoon, in which Australians with various health conditions shared their stories and vision for the future of health care in Australia.

The 15-minute video is now available on the NPS MedicineWise YouTube channel www.youtube.com/npsmedicinewise (direct link to video: https://youtu.be/-pUsdDIWRSU).