Arcare implements BESTMED medication management system

Arcare Aged Care has implemented the BESTMED eNRMC medication management system across its 50 residences.

“Arcare’s decision to implement BESTMED is a testament to their commitment to innovation and care and we are proud to share a similar ethos,” said BESTMED CEO Phil Offer.

“Innovation is key in creating a connected medication management solution that supports our partners, their care staff and consumers to improve efficiency and safety in their homes.”

“When looking for a solution, we settled on BESTMED, as it’s a live, end-to-end medication management solution that has been built in consideration with various health professionals,” said Adam Hassan, Special Projects at Arcare.

“We were looking for a system that will significantly improve the administration of medication in our residences and minimise the risk of error,” he said.

Implementation of BESTMED into Arcare commenced in November 2022 with all residences now live with the software.

“The support from the BESTMED project management and training teams has been outstanding in rolling out a significant project seamlessly,” Hassan said. “They have really helped our team jump onboard and embrace the BESTMED system.”

A recent survey of over 100 Arcare team members who attended BESTMED training and implementation workshops, on average, scored the system a 92% approval rating, Arcare said. It also reported that 86% felt confident or very confident to start using the system from the onset.

“We believe that technology should be intuitive and support care workers, not create a hurdle in their ability to provide care,” Offer said.

Arcare’s implementation of an eNRMC medication management solution has been made easier with the Department of Health’s $30 million eNRMC adoption grant opportunity. Available over three rounds, the response from facilities has been strong with round one closing early due to a high volume of applications. Round two is set to open on 3 July 2023.

BESTMED aims to develop systems to improve safety, efficiencies and reporting to meet the changing requirements in aged care. BESTMED invests over $3m pa in research and development to eradicate medication errors and is working on next-generation solutions in partnership with Macquarie University¹ researchers.

^{1. https://www.mq.edu.au/research/research-centres-groups-and-facilities/healthy-people/centres/australian-institute-of-health-innovation/news-and-events/news/news/new-grant-will-transform-medication-safety-in-aged-care}

Image credit: iStock.com/Courtney Hale