Who’s watching the meds? How care homes keep residents safe

Behind the scenes of high-quality aged care homes, there’s often something called a ‘Medication Advisory Committee’ — that you can think of as a safety watchdog for medicines. This group, made up of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and sometimes even a family representative, meets regularly to review medication practices, prevent mistakes and make sure each resident’s medicines are still helping, not harming them.

Why medication safety matters

Older people often take multiple medications, which is a situation called polypharmacy. While some medicines are essential, too many can lead to side effects, confusion or even falls and that’s why regular medication reviews are so important.

MACs oversee these reviews and help aged care staff stay up to date. They also monitor incidents, identify risks — like the overuse of sedatives — and make improvements. When MACs are active and supported, residents are safer and families can feel more confident.

A recent national review by Monash University found that while many aged care homes had MACs in place, not all were operating effectively. In some homes, the committees didn’t meet often enough, lacked proper documentation or didn’t include pharmacists. The research showed that homes with more active MACs and pharmacist involvement were better at preventing medication-related harm.

What do the best homes do?

Top-performing aged care homes in Australia tend to:

• have a MAC that meets regularly;
• employ or partner with pharmacists to review medications;
• provide staff with ongoing training in medication safety;
• track and act on any medication errors;
• use electronic or clearly labelled medication packs to avoid mistakes.

Some providers, like Resthaven, have been recognised for programs that support residents to manage their own medicines when possible safely.

What families should ask

• Who oversees medication safety?
• How often are medications reviewed?
• Are there pharmacists involved?
• How are staff trained and monitored?
• Will we be kept in the loop if something changes?

For more background, you can explore this explainer on MACs or read about the recent Monash University research that found many homes need better systems in place.

When done right, medication management in aged care is more than routine — it’s a partnership between staff, residents and families to keep older people safe and well. The presence of a MAC is a good sign that a home takes this seriously. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions, because when it comes to medications, a little oversight goes a long way.

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