Preston, Robyn, Smith, Deb, Drovandi, Aaron, Morris, Lucy, Page, Priscilla, and Couzos, Sophie (2020) Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC) Project: Qualitative Evaluation Report. External Commissioned Report. Australian Government, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

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Abstract

Background and Aims: The Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) to improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC) Project was developed in 2017 to investigate whether including a non-dispensing pharmacist as part of the primary health care (PHC) team within ACCHSs (the intervention), leads to improvements in the quality of the care received by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with chronic diseases. The theory for the project suggests that pharmacists will facilitate increased access to medication-related expertise and assessments, which when coupled with integration into the PHC team and increased engagement with participants, staff and other stakeholders, will result in increased services and quality use of medicines, and improved health outcomes. The project was conducted in a partnership between the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), and James Cook University College of Medicine and Dentistry (JCU).

The intervention was designed to be delivered at two levels: 1) patients, and 2) health professionals and systems. Activities targeting patients included the assessment of medication management through medication reviews (including Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) and non-HMRs), medication adherence and appropriateness, medication-related problems, improving patient medication knowledge and giving preventive health advice. Activities targeting health professionals and systems included conducting education sessions, responding to medication-related queries, reviewing prescribing, mentoring new prescribers, participating in case conferences, undertaking drug utilisation reviews, and liaison with community pharmacy and other stakeholders to ensure continuity of care and transitional care including supporting patients discharged from hospital.

The aim of the qualitative analysis was to evaluate perceptions from health service staff, patients and local community pharmacists on having an IPAC pharmacist integrated within the ACCHS. The analysis also explored perceptions regarding the effectiveness of the intervention through an in-depth assessment of implementation in an urban, regional and remote setting.

Conclusion: Overall, the qualitative evaluation of the IPAC project demonstrated there was overwhelming support for non-dispensing pharmacist services to be integrated within the PHC team of participating IPAC sites and in ACCHSs more broadly. Health service staff, the IPAC pharmacists and patients benefited from the initiative. Relationships with community pharmacy were further strengthened as they reported the IPAC role had been very helpful and useful. Acknowledging the time required for ACCHSs to develop systems to integrate the pharmacist and educate health professionals on the value of the role is important in future implementation of the model.

Item ID:	87336
Item Type:	Report (External Commissioned Report)
Keywords:	Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, chronic disease, pharmacy, pharmacists, qualitative, diabetes, integrated care, medications, primary health care
Additional Information:	Report to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia for the IPAC Project. This report is publicly available at the following website: https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/integrating-practice-pharmacists-into-aboriginal-community-controlled-health-services-final-report
Funders:	Australian Government Department of Health & Ageing
Projects and Grants:	Pharmacy Trials Program
Date Deposited:	03 Oct 2025 04:07
FoR Codes:	42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420319 Primary health care @ 50% 32 BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL SCIENCES > 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences > 321403 Clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice @ 50%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2001 Clinical health > 200102 Efficacy of medications @ 50% 20 HEALTH > 2001 Clinical health > 200105 Treatment of human diseases and conditions @ 50%
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