NOV- DEC 22
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Webstercare’s MedCare
The technology partner you can trust
AN ADVERTISING
FEATURE
SPONSORED FEATURE
Webstercare’s MedCare:
the technology partner you can trust Webstercare’s MedCare continues the company’s proud tradition of being an aged care technology partner of choice for medication management systems.
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rguably Australia’s doyen of modern medication management, Webstercare Managing Director Gerard Stevens is a husband, father, pharmacist and managing director. But his favourite professional label is inventor. Best known for inventing the Webster-pak, the world’s first multi-dose medication adherence aid, which revolutionised aged care medication management, Stevens also invented Jade Charts, Australia’s first computer-generated medical chart for residential aged care. Jade Charts was the forerunner to RxMedChart, Australia’s first computergenerated version of the national residential medication chart (NRMC). The most recent and sophisticated of his innovations, MedCare, is a natural extension of more than 40 years of being at the aged care sector’s leading edge in medication innovation. So, Stevens takes a degree of personal pride witnessing the sector adapt to new, improved ways of doing things, especially the overall response to the Federal Government’s incentives for adopting the electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC). “Twenty-two years ago, Jade Charts combined technological and systemic advancement and 26 | NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2022
proved to be a significant advance from the old manual charting systems,” says Stevens. “It was first adopted by James Milson Nursing Home and we were all very excited when, soon after implementation, they received a highly commended evaluation from the department due to the innovation. We continued to stay the course and when the national residential medication chart was enacted in 2014, our computer-generated RxMedChart was market ready and operational.” Webstercare founder and managing director Gerard Stevens
“It almost feels like we’re stepping into the 22nd century.”
Staying at the leading edge Today Webstercare continues to be at the leading edge of medication management system research, development and support. That original breakthrough has been far superseded by more sophisticated systems and technological advancements, forming the end-toend and interoperable Webstercare Medcare. But the base and original purpose remain the same: reducing consumer risk and improving system efficiency. And those already using Webstercare systems like MedSig will find the transition easy and seamless, says Stevens. “Today we can connect the entire medication care team with cloud-based, centralised medication profiles and seamless communication,” he says. “The aged care team,
SPONSORED FEATURE pharmacy and prescribers all access one real-time single source of truth. “Clinical information can be captured, updated and reported at any time, from any location. Resident profiles and charts are always current and accessible. The risk of error is minimised. Complex processes are simplified and less time is spent checking different sources of information. “It almost feels like we’re stepping into the 22nd century. The maxim of the right medication and the right dose, at the right time has never been so assured,” Stevens says.
When the rubber hits the road Importantly, prescribers love the new system because they can work from anywhere, says Stevens. The system provides mobile access to doctors and they, in turn, can send their medical orders from anywhere – even S8 medications like psychotropics are electronically prescribed. “I spoke with one aged care doctor who was
“The maxim of the right medication and the right dose, at the right time has never been so assured.”
Innovation a natural fit at Princes Court Princes Court Homes Mildura was among the first aged care facilities in Australia to adopt Webstercare’s MedCare. Home to about 100 residents, Princes Court prides itself in being an innovator and has won several awards. So, joining Webstercare’s eNRMC trial for its MedCare system was a natural decision. “We were interested in a live electronic system, improving turnaround time from ordering to dispensing and recording, in the hope that the consistent approach would decrease medication errors. We’ve done it to reduce medication incidents and improve services to our residents,” says director of care services Sianne Nicholds. “We already had the e-signing and were keen to adopt the clinical charting so it was an easy decision to register for the trial. It’s been a great success. In our first reporting quarter since implementation began, we’ve reduced medication incidents by well over half. We only had eight incidents and that is well below the industry benchmark,” she says. “The doctors love it. They’re no longer weighed down by burdensome administrative practices and can log in to make prescribing changes from anywhere in the world. And once they make a change, they know it will happen. The old way of printing out an order on paper and then getting them to fax it is thankfully gone,” says Nicholds. It’s also had a positive impact on workload. According to clinical care coordinator Stella Moser, the system has significantly improved communication efficiency and clarity with doctors and pharmacists.
Choosing an eNRMC provider When choosing your eNRMC provider, it pays to ask the right questions. Make sure: • all medicines, including S8s, can be prescribed without a paperbased prescription • data access is real-time, supported by the cloud, but can also operate offline in wi-fi blackspots – this can be especially important in rural and remote areas • it is an end-to-end system that supports direct communication between all involved in the medication cycle – the aged care home, the prescriber and the pharmacist – because having to use phone, fax and standard email adds confusion and unnecessary steps in the process • there is flexibility in the type of medication packing systems available to meet the differing needs of consumers • there is interoperability throughout the system and its components • the functionality is streamlined, mitigating need to log in and out of system components.
able to change and maintain medication supply while in Europe,” adds Stevens. Pharmacists also love the system, he says, because it removes many sources of medication misadventure due to human error and significantly improves workflow efficiencies, especially in communicating with the residential aged care facility. But the system was developed for aged care homes and this is where, says Stevens, the “rubber hits the road”. Medication orders are computer-generated – not hand-written – so there is less chance for comprehension error. Even S8s are fully paperless. All steps in the process are prompted and captured in real-time by the system. This leads to greater transparency, accountability and no intermediate manual steps or workarounds. The system supports all communication with the pharmacy or the doctor. There’s even a capability to contact the doctor via mobile wherever they may be. Medication data is generated and analysed to improve overall governance by supporting monitoring, reporting, auditing and medication optimisation. This makes it easier to meet accreditation reporting responsibilities, says Stevens. Aged care facilities will also have greater confidence that medications are being prescribed in line with best practice, regulation and policies, he adds. And because staff do not need to scan and send medication charts to the pharmacy each time a medicine is dispensed or changed, the facility benefits from improved and more efficient workflows.
Funding available There are also useful incentives for aged care homes to make and pay for the transition. Make sure you explore your entitlements because they’re easy to apply for and paid relatively quickly, says Stevens. “We are highly motivated to offer support and information.” n Contact Gerard Stevens at gerard.stevens@webstercare.com.au For more information about the overall transition and to apply for funding, access the Electronic National Residential Medication Chart (eNRMC) transitional arrangement – Residential aged care services information pack at health.gov.au Contact Webstercare T: 1800 244 358 E: info@webstercare.com.au W: webstercare.com.au
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