New clinic brings better support for people taking multiple meds
Older people taking multiple medications
for multiple health conditions can talk to a
pharmacist and if needed be assessed by a
Geriatrician at a new Outpatient Clinic at
Tauranga Hospital.
For many older people, polypharmacy (taking multiple
medications for multiple conditions) is common. In New
Zealand 35 percent of people aged 65+ are prescribed fi ve
or more medications, and 8 percent of those aged 85+ are
taking 11 or more medications at one time.
“Taking multiple medications may be benefi cial for quality
of life and staying well, as long as this is carefully managed.
Research shows 58 percent of people on fi ve or more
medications will suffer an adverse side effect. There’s also a
higher risk of falls and other age related conditions that can
lead to hospitalisation.
“Our new Outpatient Clinic allows people to bring along
family or friends and spend up to an hour with a pharmacist
discussing all their medications, prescribed and non-
prescribed, their benefi ts, potential
side effects and possible changes.
At the same time, they can be seen
by a Geriatrician who may add to the
recommendations, arrange appropriate
investigations or further review,”
says BOPDHB Geriatrician Dr Vicky
Henstridge.
The Bay of Plenty has a high and
growing population of older adults. In
the Western Bay people can access
specialist pharmacist advice and
support about their medications
through Medwise.
“The Outpatient Clinic’s designed
to complement those existing
services. People do have their
medications reviewed by their GP,
often in collaboration with the excellent
Medwise service. However, as our
population ages, the need for reviews
is increasing, and so too is the need for
input from a Geriatrician.”
Although the clinic is in its early phase
and processes are still being fi ne-tuned,
Vicky says ultimately the clinic’s been set
up to support older people to stay well and
improve their quality of life.
She says the BOPDHB will be monitoring
the clinic’s progress and depending on
its success, we may look at developing
a similar clinic at the Outpatients
Department at Whakatāne Hospital.
For further information including referral
criteria please contact
[email protected]
Geriatrician Dr Vicky Henstridge (left) and
Pharmacist Adele Harrex at the new Outpatient
Clinic providing better support for people
taking multiple medications for multiple health
conditions.
Disability resource developed in the Bay shared nationwide
A teaching resource developed at the
BOPDHB designed to improve the way
health staff communicate with patients
living with disabilities, is being profi led by
the Health Quality & Safety Commission,
and shared nationwide.
Established in 2010, the Commission works
across the health and disability sector to improve
the quality and safety of services for all people.
The teaching resource titled Do you really see me
or just my disability? tells the stories of seven Bay
of Plenty people living with disabilities (tāngata
whaikaha). The stories are shared from their own
perspective, and in the case of two who have
passed away, their families.
BOPDHB Quality and Patient Safety Co-ordinator
Cheryl Shearer says she chose to develop this
resource after dealing with patients and families
with concerns about their medical care and how
staff communication impacted on their patient
journey.
“There are touchpoints in every patient’s journey
that have an impact on how we as health staff
make them feel. The information provided by these
people in this resource has identifi ed themes that
we can all learn from.”
“These people have very different life experiences
but what ties their stories together is a desire to be
treated with dignity and respect. Seemingly simple
things like greeting a person and asking them if
they need assistance, before doing anything else,
are really important.”
Dr Chris Walsh, Director of Partners in Care at
the Commission says that listening to patients’
From the Chair
In this issue of Health Matters, we are
sharing with you our draft Māori Health
Strategy Te Toi Ahorangi 2030.
In the December 2018 Ministerial Letter of
Expectations for all District Health Boards the
Minister said, ‘’Achieving equity within the New
Zealand Health system underpins all of my priorities.
Maori as a population group experience the poorest
health outcomes. As you consider equity within your
district, there needs to be explicit focus on achieving
equity for Maori across their life course.”
Te Toi Ahorangi provides our local health system
and tangata whenua with a clear direction for
improving Māori health over the next decade.
As Albert Einstein said “We cannot solve our
problems with the same thinking we used when
we created them.”
The vision of Te Toi Ahorangi asks us to embark
on a different journey together and this will take
commitment and the courage to change what
we do and how we do it. If we, here in the Bay
of Plenty, are going to achieve the Bay of Plenty
District Health Board’s vision of Healthy, thriving
communities, Kia Momoho Te Hāpori ōranga we
must uphold the aspirations of Te Toi Ahorangi so
tangata whenua can fl ourish
More details about the draft Māori Health
Strategy and a
schedule of public
hui are on the
following pages. We
are really keen to
get people involved
in understanding
the aspirations and
involved in making
a difference for all
people in the Bay of
Plenty.
Sally Webb, Chair Bay of
Supporting people
Plenty District Health Board
to get well, stay well
and be well is at the
heart of our health service. As you are no doubt
aware, there is a measles outbreak in Canterbury
and there have been confi rmed cases in the North
Island as well. This is an avoidable disease that
can have catastrophic outcomes. Just last week I
was reading a Facebook article by children’s author
Roald Dahl about how his seven you old daughter
caught measles and died from complications in
1962. Please check your immunisation status and
that of your children. Immunisation is our best
protection.
Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi
With your basket and my basket the people
will live.
Arohanui Sally Webb
Cheryl Shearer (centre) surrounded by those who contributed to the
teaching resource and their families.
experiences of care helps us to understand where improvements can be made.
“We strive for a world-class and patient-centred health care and disability
support system in New Zealand. Listening to the patient experience and using
patient stories to inform improvements, is a key part of this.”
You can view the resource online by searching Do you really see me or just
my disability at www.hqsc.govt.nz