The 2024 National Medicines Symposium has now concluded.
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Join us for the 2024
National Medicines Symposium
‘Ageing Well: Safe Medicines, Better Lives’
As Australia’s population ages, the need for managing the appropriate use of medicines becomes increasingly critical. This Symposium will bring together experts and practitioners to discuss innovative strategies for enhancing medication safety, reducing polypharmacy, and improving the quality of life for all Australians.
Event Description
Our speakers, include Professor Libby Roughead, Professor Jennifer Martin, Professor Sarah Hilmer and Dr Lisa Kouladjian O’Donnell, who will share their insights on key topics such as person-centred deprescribing, deprescribing high-risk medications and leveraging digital health tools. You will gain valuable knowledge about how to tackle the complexities of medication management in an ageing population and drive sustainable healthcare practices.
While beneficial, medicines also pose risks. The Symposium will delve into the safe and appropriate use of medicines in an ageing population. Experts will explore how we find a balance between managing disease and avoiding medicine-related problems.
With an ageing population, more Australians are living with multiple chronic diseases and taking multiple medicines – known as polypharmacy. Monitoring polypharmacy and responding to inappropriate polypharmacy is one of the actions for Australia’s response to Medication without harm – WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge. Australia’s response also focuses on improving medication safety at transitions of care, with a focus on a shared medicines list.
About the Program
Explore the central theme “Appropriate Use of Medicines in an Ageing Population”.
Key Highlights
- Learn about tailored prescribing practices to improve care for older people managing
multiple conditions and medications - Discover the latest in person-centred care medication management strategies to make a
significant difference in patient health outcomes - Explore evidence-based approaches to safely reduce high-risk medications and reduce
medication-related harm through effective deprescribing - Hear about digital tools and advances for medicine safety in older people and how these can support medication management
NMS 2024 PROGRAM
Please note all timings are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (Sydney, NSW time)
| 10:00 – 10:05 am | Welcome to Country | Ms Yvonne Weldon AM |
| 10:05 – 10:10 am | Introduction with Facilitator | Ms Tegan Taylor NMS Facilitator, Health and Science Journalist |
| 10:10 – 10:15 am | Opening Address | The Hon. Mark Butler MP Minister for Health and Aged Care |
| 10:15 – 10:20 am | Welcome on behalf of Commission | Conjoint Professor Anne Duggan Chief Executive Officer, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care |
| 10:20 – 10:35 am | Quality Use of Medicines in Australia | Professor Libby Roughead Director of the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, University of South Australia |
| 10:35 – 10:50 am | WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication without harm – Australia’s response – 2023 status report | Mr Steve Waller Senior Advisor, Medication without Harm, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care |
| 10:50 – 11:05 am | Clinician’s perspective of managing medicines for an ageing population | Professor Jennifer Martin Physician, Clinical Pharmacologist and President of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians |
| 11:05 – 11:35 am | Panel Discussion: How are the challenges of medication safety for an ageing population being addressed? | Professor Libby Roughead Mr Steve Waller Professor Jennifer Martin |
| 11.35 – 11.40 am | Lightning talk | Pharmaceutical Society of Australia |
| 11.40 – 11.50 am | Break | |
| 11.50 – 12:05pm | Approaches to deprescribing of medicines | Professor Sarah Hilmer AM Dr Lisa Kouladjian O’Donnell |
| 12:05 – 12:15 pm | Polypharmacy Consumer Perspective | Mr Bronte Parkin Dementia Advocate, Dementia Australia |
| 12:15 – 12:30 pm | Challenges of quality use of medicines in rural settings | Professor Jenny May AM National Rural Health Commissioner and General Practitioner |
| 12:30 – 1:00 pm | Panel Discussion: Medicine-related harm and the importance of safe and appropriate use of medicines | Dr Lisa Kouladjian O’Donnell Mr Bronte Parkin Professor Jenny May AM Dr Phoebe Holdenson Kimura |
| 1:00 – 1:05 pm | Lightning Talk | Advanced Pharmacy Australia |
| 1:05 – 1:35 pm | Break: Lunch | |
| 1:35 – 1:45 pm | Medication Management at Transitions of Care Stewardship Framework | Ms Natalie Kahwajy Senior Project Officer, Digital Health, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care |
| 1:45 – 1:55 pm | Human factors and digital health | Professor Melissa Baysari Professor of Health Research, The University of Sydney |
| 1:55 – 2:05 pm | Managing medicines safety using digital tools in rural and remote settings | Mr Michael Bakker Chief Pharmacy Information Officer, South Australia Pharmacy |
| 2:05 – 2:20 pm | Digital tools for medicines management in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations | Ms Alice Nugent Pharmacist Advisor, Medicines Policy and Programs, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation |
| 2:20 – 2:50 pm | Panel Discussion: Digital tools for the safe and appropriate use of medicines | Professor Melissa Baysari Mr Michael Bakker Ms Kate Oliver |
| 2.50 – 2.55pm | Closing Address | Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO Board Chair, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care |
| 2:55 – 3:00pm | Close with Facilitator | Ms Tegan Taylor NMS Facilitator, Health and Science Journalist |
| Close | ||
Program is subject to change.
NMS 2024 SPEAKERS
Ms Tegan Taylor
NMS Facilitator, Health and Science Journalist
Tegan Taylor is a multi-award-winning health and science reporter for the ABC. She hosts Radio National’s Health Report, Quick Smart and What’s That Rash? She’s received a Walkley Award, the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism and her work has appeared in the anthology The Best of Australian Science Writing.
The Hon. Mark Butler MP
Minister for Health and Aged Care
Mark Butler is the Minister for Health and Aged Care. He served as Minister for Ageing and Australia’s first Minister for Mental Health in the Gillard Government. Mark has also held the ministries of Housing, Homelessness, Social Inclusion, Climate Change, Water and the Environment. In 2013 he was awarded the Alzheimer’s Disease International Award for Outstanding Global Contribution to the Fight Against Dementia.
Conjoint Professor Anne Duggan
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Anne Duggan is Chief Executive Officer at the Commission and a highly respected gastroenterologist with significant leadership experience in a range of healthcare settings. She is also a Conjoint Professor at the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. Anne is passionate about improving health care services through sharing knowledge and collaborating across the health system.
Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO
Board Chair, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO is the Board Chair of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. She has extensive clinical, academic, and hospital administration experience and is recognised for building strong clinical governance and safety culture. Her previous roles include Chief Executive at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Chief Medical Officer at Melbourne Health, and Executive Director at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Session 1: Challenges of medicine safety in an ageing population
Professor Libby Roughead
Director of Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, University of South Australia
Libby Roughead’s research focuses on improving use of medicines. Libby is Director of the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, a member of the Australian Government Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medication Safety and Quality Advisory Committee.
Mr Steve Waller
Senior Advisor, Medication Without Harm, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Steve Waller is a pharmacist and consultant with extensive Australian and international experience in clinical trials management, regulations, product registration, supply chain, finance and general management. Since 2018 he has consulted to the Commission on safe and quality use of medicines, developing Australia's response to WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge - Medication without harm, and other reports addressing appropriate prescribing.
Professor Jennifer Martin
Physician, Clinical Pharmacologist and President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Professor Martin (FRACP, PhD) is a practising general physician and clinical pharmacologist. She is President of the RACP and is the Editor-in-Chief of the ASPET-BPS Journal - Pharmacology Research and Perspectives. Over the last 30 years, she has advised on clinical pharmacology matters for Pharma, Federal and State Health pharmaceutical regulation and reimbursement committees, and is the lead for the NSW State Medicines Formulary Committee. She leads a clinical pharmacology and drug repurposing team at the University of Newcastle.
Session 2: Deprescribing
Professor Sarah Hilmer AM
Head of Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Geriatrician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology, Northen Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney
Sarah Hilmer (BScMed(Hons) MBBS(Hons) FRACP PhD FAHMS) is head of department of Clinical Pharmacology and senior staff specialist geriatrician at Royal North Shore Hospital; Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology at Sydney University; and leads Ageing and Pharmacology Laboratory at the Kolling. Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to clinical and geriatric pharmacology.
Dr Lisa Kouladjian O’Donnell
Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney and Deputy Chair, Australian Deprescribing Network
Dr Kouladjian O’Donnell is a Lecturer and credentialled pharmacist, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney. Lisa is currently the Deputy Chair of the Australian Deprescribing Network, and leads a research program that aims to optimise medicine use in older adults.
Dr Pheobe Holdenson Kimura
Medical Advisor, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and General Practitioner
Dr Holdenson Kimura is a Medical Advisor for the Commission and a general practitioner based in Sydney, working in health policy and health professional education. She works clinically at the Hornsby-Brooklyn General Practice Unit and is passionate about promoting equitable and quality primary care.
Mr Bronte Parkin
Dementia Advocate, Dementia Australia
Bronte cared for his wife, who had younger onset dementia, for 13 years - her final three in residential aged care. As Dementia Australia’s nominated advocate, he participated in development of the clinical care standard of the “Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards” and the Commission’s Clinical Care Standard on use of psychotropic medicines.
Professor Jenny May AM
National Rural Health Commissioner
Professor Jenny May AM has been passionate about rural health since her first rural medical student placement in 1980 and then as a trainee rural doctor at Tamworth Hospital in 1985.
Professor May holds fellowships with The Royal Australasian College of General Practitioners and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and has extensive experience in clinical practice, research, education and rural health advocacy. In 2016, she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to community health in rural and regional areas as a general practitioner, a member of professional medical groups, and an educator.
Session 3: Digital tools for medicine safety
Ms Natalie Kahwajy
Senior Project Officer, Digital Health, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and Pharmacist
Natalie works with the Digital Health team at the Commission on national projects that support the safety and quality of digital health, including digital medicines and integrated systems. Natalie is a hospital pharmacist by background and has worked as a Senior Antimicrobial Stewardship pharmacist. Prior to her current role, she was a Quality and Accreditation Manager within South Western Sydney Local Health District, overseeing accreditation, quality improvement and risk management processes.
Professor Melissa Baysari
Professor Health Research, The University of Sydney
Melissa leads the Human Factors Digital Health Research Group at the University of Sydney. She is internationally recognised for her research on evaluation and optimisation of health technologies to support healthcare work and improve patient safety, with a particular focus on technologies to support medication management.
Mr Michael Bakker
Chief Pharmacy Information Officer, South Australia, SA Pharmacy
In addition to his role in SA Health, Michael is the chair of the Pharmacy Informatics group within the Advanced Pharmacy Australia and a PhD candidate with Flinders University. He is clinical lead for AutoMedic which is a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) project to transform complex medicines review processes using AI.
Ms Kate Oliver
Program Manager, Digital Health, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Kate is the Program Manager for the medicines arm of the Commission’s Digital Health team. She leads the program strategy and execution, supporting the development and ongoing stewardship of nationally standardised tools, indicators and guidance used in the Australian healthcare system to manage medicines safely. Kate has extensive experience in electronic medication management and has managed several national digital medicines programs in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Ms Alice Nugent
Pharmacist Advisor, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
Alice Nugent has worked as a pharmacist in general practice for nearly 10 years. She collaborates with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) to guide medicine policy and programs. Alice advocates for including more pharmacists in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). She contributes to projects and policies focused on improving medicine access and ensuring the safe use of medications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Additionally, she promotes the use of digital tools such as electronic prescriptions, telehealth, My Health Record, Real-Time Prescription Monitoring, and secure messaging.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation on whose land the Commission’s office is located, and the lands across Australia where those we partner with work. The Commission pays our deep respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and emerging.
Sea urchin design: Ms Tanya Taylor is a Worimi artist (mid-north coast of New South Wales) who is drawn to the underwater world through a deep connection with her saltwater heritage. Tanya’s design is inspired by the patterns found in the sea urchins, corals and sea creatures found in the ocean.
Privacy Policy
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care is concerned with the protection of your privacy. We support the privacy principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), as amended. We will collect and store your personal information for the purposes of managing the National Medicines Symposium only. Your data may be used to provide you with National Medicines Symposium updates in the form of email communications and/or other types of communication.
Email NMS@safetyandquality.gov.au if you prefer not to receive communications from us.
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