Medicines Advice Initiative Australia

Supporting Quality Use of Medicines

What We Do
The aim of the Supporting Quality Use of Medicines is to improve Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by developing and publishing clinical and medicines resources for staff working in our sector.

The MAIA consortium is led by the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre at the University of South Australia in collaboration with the Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH), the Drug and Therapeutics Information Service (DATIS), the Discipline of General Practice The University of Adelaide, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Council of Australian Therapeutic Advisory Groups (CATAG).

MAIA develops educational interventions to target specific health care problems. These resources and activities have been developed for a range of audiences, including General Practitioners, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) through NACCHO, pharmacists, and hospitals and health service organisations.

How We Contribute To Solutions
NACCHO works with our ACCHO member services and Medicines Advice Initiative Australia (MAIA) consortium to adapt existing MAIA resources.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the NACCHO Medicines Team at qum@naccho.org.au.

More information regarding the MAIA program can be found here

Our Impact

Improved Quality Use of Medicines (QUM):
The program supports clinical and QUM services provided by ACCHOs ensuring that medicines are used safely and effectively.
Measuring success:
We work with ACCHOs to understand how the resources and support may improve outcomes that matter to the respective Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that ACCHOs serve. This may include supporting audits of medicines-related activities, such as Home Medicines Reviews.
Better Health Outcomes:
The effectiveness of this work through Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre at the University of South Australia has been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Culturally Safe and Appropriate Care:
The program emphasizes the importance of culturally safe practice, and content is tailored to ensure that healthcare services provided congruent with the program meet the cultural and health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Capacity Building:
The program has also focused on building capacity within the ACCHO sector by providing support for pharmacists, doctors and others working in ACCHOs.

Our Approach
In collaboration with an external project lead and medical writer, the NACCHO medicines team leverages their extensive experience of the sector to assist members in maximizing the effectiveness of the program. They provide expert guidance on optimizing resources and capitalizing on their extensive network to enhance support ACCHOs.

Committees
The Good Medicine Better Health Advisory Group provides strategic guidance of this program.