Pharmacists in Residential Aged Care Facilities study
The Integrating Pharmacists in Residential Aged Care Facilities study (Pharmacists in RACF study) is underway in residential aged care facilities in the ACT. The study aims to improve the quality use of medicines and reduce hospital and emergency department visits among residents in residential aged care.
This new model of care integrates on-site pharmacists into residential aged care facilities as part of the care team. Funding is provided by the Capital Health Network through the ACT’s Primary Heath Program, and will be conducted from 2019 to 2023. The study builds on a pilot study conducted in 2017.
You can access media and results of the study below.
Research team
To contact the study team please email racfstudy@canberra.edu.au.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Professor Rachel Davey | Principal Investigator and Director, Health Research Institute |
| Dr Sam Kosari | Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor, Pharmacy |
| Professor Mark Naunton | Principal Investigator and Professor, Pharmacy |
| Dr Jane Koerner | Research/Project Manager |
| Ms Sarah Nikro | Study administration officer |
| Mr Ibrahim Haider | PhD Student |
| Ms Miranda Batten | PhD Student |
Media
- Working together: Aged Care Pharmacists – AJP.com- 19 December 2019
- National commitment needed to embed pharmacists in residential aged care – Pharmaceutical Society of Australia - 29 March 2019
- Aged care pharmacist pilot winner – Australian Pharmacist – 12 June 2018
- Goodwin-funded Australian-first aged care trial wins award – Goodwin - 1 June 2018
Pilot study findings
- McDerby NC, Kosari S, Bail KS, Shield AJ, MacLeod T, Peterson GM, Naunton M (2020). The role of a residential aged care pharmacist: Findings from a pilot study. Australian Journal on Ageing. doi: doi: 10.1111/ajag.12784
- McDerby N, Kosari S, Bail K, Shield A, Peterson G, Naunton M (2020). Residential Aged Care Pharmacist: An Australian Pilot Trial Exploring the Impact on Quality Use of Medicines Indicators. Medicines, 7(4). doi: 10.3390/medicines7040020
- McDerby N, Kosari S, Bail K, Shield A, Peterson G, Naunton M. (2019). The effect of a residential care pharmacist on medication administration practices in aged care: A controlled trial. Journal of Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy, 44, 595-602. doi:doi: 10.1111/jcpt.12822
- McDerby N, Kosari S, Bail K, Shield A, Thorpe R, Naunton M. (2019). Residential care pharmacists: another hole plugged in the Swiss cheese. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1513
- McDerby NC, Kosari S, Bail KS, Shield AJ, MacLeod T, Peterson GM, Naunton M. (2019). Pharmacist-led influenza vaccination services in residential aged care homes: A pilot study. Australasian Journal on Ageing., 38(2), 132-135. doi:doi: 10.1111/ajag.12611
- McDerby N, Naunton M, Shield A, Bail K, Kosari S. (2018). Feasibility of Integrating Residential Care Pharmacists into Aged Care Homes to Improve Quality Use of Medicines: Study Protocol for a Non-Randomised Controlled Pilot Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi:doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030499.
- Kosari S, McDerby N, Thomas J, Naunton M. (2018). Quality use of medicines in aged care facilities: A need for new models of care. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics., 43, 591-3.