Action 4.03

The Partnering with Consumers Standard has specific actions (Action 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09 and 2.10) relating to health service organisations’ processes for involving patients in their own care, shared decision making, informed consent and effective communication.

The patient is the focus of the medication management pathway. Health service organisations should apply the principles of partnering with consumers, health literacy and shared decision making when developing, reviewing and implementing processes or practices within the medication management pathway.

Health service organisations should use established processes to partner with patients at key points in the medication management pathway including when:

• Taking a BPMH (Action 4.05)

• Documenting a patient’s history of medicine allergies and ADRs (Action 4.07)

• Assessing a patient’s clinical needs for medication review (Action 4.10)

• Providing information to patients on their individual medicines needs and risks (Action 4.11)

• Providing patients with a current medicines list on discharge (Action 4.12).

Refer to the implementation strategies under each relevant action for more details.

Provide information for patients

Ensure that patients and carers have enough information about treatment options to make informed choices about their medicines and to adhere to medicine-related treatment plans. Providing patient information is the responsibility of everyone involved in the administration and prescribing processes, and when a medicine is dispensed. Provision of medicine-related information to a patient should be recorded in the patient’s healthcare record.

Provide information in a form that is meaningful, easy to understand and use, and tailored to the diversity of the organisation’s patient population. Consider the different languages used in the local community when selecting and developing medicine-related information for patients.

Action 4.11 contains specific strategies relating to the provision of information to patients on their individual medicines needs and risks. Organisations should refer to strategies in Action 4.11 when implementing Action 4.03.

Support shared decision making

Shared decision making can only occur when a patient understands what medicines are being proposed, the need for a new medicine, or why a change to therapy (including a dose change or ceasing a medicine) is being recommended.

Patients need to be involved in setting treatment goals and supported to understand the proposed outcomes of treatment.

Discussion about medicines should include:

• Duration of treatment

• Whether the medicine will cure their illness, or is required to control the symptoms of their chronic illness

• Untoward effects (for example, side effects, pain on administration) that the medicine may have.

Use the strategies outlined in Action 2.05 to identify and support patients who do not have the capacity to understand the risks of medicine use or make decisions about their care.

The Partnering with Consumers Standard has specific actions (Action 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09 and 2.10) relating to health service organisations’ processes for involving patients in their own care, shared decision making, informed consent and effective communication.

The patient is the focus of the medication management pathway. Health service organisations should apply the principles of partnering with consumers, health literacy and shared decision making when developing, reviewing and implementing processes or practices within the medication management pathway.

Health service organisations should use established processes to partner with patients at key points in the medication management pathway, including when:

• Taking a BPMH (Action 4.05)
• Documenting a patient’s history of medicine allergies and ADRs (Action 4.07)
• Assessing a patient’s clinical needs for medication review (Action 4.10)
• Providing information to patients on their individual medicines needs and risks (Action 4.11)
• Providing patients with a current medicines list on discharge (Action 4.12).

Refer to the implementation strategies under each relevant action for more details.

Provide information for patients

Ensure that patients and carers have enough information about treatment options to make informed choices about their medicines and to adhere to medicine-related treatment plans. Providing patient information is the responsibility of everyone involved in the administration and prescribing processes, and when a medicine is dispensed. Provision of medicine-related information to a patient should be recorded in the patient’s healthcare record.

Provide information in a form that is meaningful, easy to understand and use, and tailored to the diversity of the organisation’s patient population. Consider the different languages used in the local community when selecting and developing medicine-related information for patients.

Action 4.11 contains specific strategies relating to the provision of information to patients on their individual medicines needs and risks. Organisations should refer to strategies in Action 4.11 when implementing Action 4.03.

Shared decision making

Shared decision making can only occur when a patient understands what medicines are being proposed, the need for a new medicine, and why a change to therapy (including a dose change or ceasing a medicine) is being recommended.

Patients need to be involved in setting treatment goals and supported to understand the proposed outcomes of treatment.

Discussion about medicines should include:

• Duration of treatment
• Whether the medicine will cure their illness, or is required to control the symptoms of their chronic illness
• Untoward effects (for example, side effects, pain on administration) that the medicine may have.

Use the strategies outlined in Action 2.05 to identify and support patients who do not have the capacity to understand the risks of medicine use or make decisions about their care.

Examples of evidence

Select only examples currently in use:

• Policy documents that describe the processes for gaining patient consent, or consulting with substitute decision-makers, for the administration of medicines
• Policy documents about consumer engagement in medication management
• Observation of clinicians’ practice that shows use of the health service organisation’s processes for partnering with consumers
• Records of interviews with clinicians that show that they understand the health service organisation’s processes for partnering with consumers
• Samples of medicine-related information resources for patients, carers and families that meet the requirements in the health literacy actions of the Partnering with Consumers Standard
• Examples of clinical documentation that provide evidence of shared decision making about medication management
• Results of patient experience surveys about medication management.

The Partnering with Consumers Standard has specific actions (Action 2.03, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09 and 2.10) relating to health service organisations’ processes for involving patients in their own care, shared decision making, informed consent and effective communication.

The patient is the focus of the medication management pathway. Health service organisations should apply the principles of partnering with consumers, health literacy and shared decision making when developing, reviewing and implementing processes or practices within the medication management pathway.

Health service organisations should use established processes to partner with patients at key points in the medication management pathway, including when:

• Taking a BPMH (Action 4.05)
• Documenting a patient’s history of medicine allergies and ADRs (Action 4.07)
• Assessing a patient’s clinical needs for medication review (Action 4.10)
• Providing information to patients about their individual medication needs and risks (Action 4.11)
• Providing patients with a current medicines list on discharge (Action 4.12).

Provide information for patients

Ensure that patients and carers have enough information about treatment options to make informed choices about their medicines and to adhere to medicine-related treatment plans. Providing patient information is the responsibility of everyone involved in the administration and prescribing processes, and when a medicine is dispensed. Provision of medicine-related information to a patient should be recorded in the patient’s healthcare record.

Provide information in a form that is meaningful, easy to understand and use, and tailored to the diversity of the organisation’s patient population. Consider the different languages used in the local community when selecting and developing medicine-related information for patients.

Action 4.11 contains specific strategies relating to the provision of information to patients on their individual medicines needs and risks. Organisations should refer to strategies in Action 4.11 when implementing Action 4.03.

Support shared decision making

Shared decision making can only occur when a patient understands what medicines are being proposed, the  need for a new medicine, or why a change in therapy (including a dose change or ceasing a medicine) is being recommended.

Patients need to be involved in setting treatment goals and supported to understand the proposed outcomes of treatment.

Discussion about medicines should include:

• Duration of treatment
• If the medicine will cure their illness, or is required to control the symptoms of their
• chronic illness
• Untoward effects (for example, side effects, pain on administration) that the medicine may have.

Use the strategies outlined in Action 2.05 to identify and support patients who do not have the capacity to understand the risks of medicine use or make decisions about their care.