What to expect from your Home Medicine Review (HMR)
An HMR gives you ultimate peace of mind that you’re managing your medicines the best way for you. With an HMR our pharmacist will help you understand:
- exactly what your medicines are for,
- how to take them correctly and give you tips to help your remember when to take them,
- how they may interact with each other,
- which prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, foods or complementary medicines and vitamins can be taken safely together
- how to store them
- whether you might benefit from a dosage administration aid (e.g. Websterpak®, Dosette®)
- how to use devices correctly eg blood glucose monitor, inhaler, injection
- what problems you should report to your doctor
- and clarify any confusion with generic medications
Our pharmacist who conducts the review can even take away any unused or out-of-date medicines for you.
Once your HMR has been completed, our Pharmacist will write a report to your doctor who will then create a health care action plan with you and adjust any medicine problems if necessary.
Who would benefit from an HMR?
An HMR is useful for people from all walks of life, especially if:
- you’ve recently been discharged from hospital
- your medicines have been changed
- your medicines need constant monitoring
- you have ever experienced side effects from a particular medicine
- you are taking many different kinds of medicines
- you need instruction on how to use a specific health device e.g. blood glucose monitor
- you have a chronic disease
- you don’t always remember to take your medicines
- you are confused or worried about your medicines
- you have problems with literacy or language, dexterity, sight or memory
- you are seeing a number of different doctors including GP’s and Specialists
How to organise a Home Medicine Review
Ask your doctor or our pharmacist at your local Fresh Therapeutics Compounding Pharmacy to organise a Home Medicine Review or make an appointment online.
How much does a Home Medicine Review Cost?
If you have a current Australian Medicare card and you are eligible for an HMR (your doctor will confirm your eligibility) the government will pay for the HMR (i.e. there is no charge). Your GP will either bulk-bill or charge for their consultation.
People with a valid DVA card may be eligible for FREE Dosage Administration Aids after they have had an HMR. For more information, go to:
https://www.veteransmates.net.au/VeteransMATES/documents/module_materials/M29_VetBrochure.pdf
Information for Doctors about Home Medicine Reviews
Also known as a Domicillary Medication Management Review (DMMR), a Home Medicines Review is claimable under Item 900.
In conducting a DMMR, a medical practitioner must:
- assess a patient’s medication management needs; and following that assessment
- refer the patient to a community pharmacy or accredited pharmacist for a DMMR; and
- with the patient’s consent, provide relevant clinical information required for the review; and
- discuss with the reviewing pharmacist the results of that review, including suggested medications management strategies; and
- develop a written medication management plan following discussion with the patient.
For more information, go to:
http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=A42&qt=NoteID
