557 - Breaking Barriers: Transforming Medication Management in Aged Care

Talking HealthTech

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Phil Offer, CEO of BestMed, about the evolving landscape of medication management across aged care, primary care, and pharmacy in Australia.

They discuss the challenges around syncing data between these sectors, the clinical and operational impact of medication errors, and how technology platforms like BestMed are shaping safer, more connected workflows.

The episode covers the origins of BestMed, the importance of interoperability, regulatory drivers, stakeholder benefits, and the future of intelligence and AI in digital health.

Key Takeaways:

📊 Medication discrepancies between aged care, GPs, and pharmacies are widespread, with a University of Sydney study showing 72.6 discrepancies per 100 records—many with potential for clinical harm.

💻 Digitisation and interoperability between care providers reduce manual transcription errors and potential incidents, with some facilities reporting a 63% drop in medication-related incidents.

☁️ BestMed's cloud-based platform is accessed by aged care staff, pharmacists, GPs, and families, with real-time medication records for safer and more efficient management.

🏛️ Regulatory standards and government support have been crucial in advancing interoperability and uptake of digital medication management in aged care.

🎯 Guiding principles for product design include minimising data retranscription, integrating into user workflows, and actively seeking feedback from stakeholders.

🔗 BestMed's recent integration with Best Practice Software aims to further streamline processes for GPs, minimising double-entry and enhancing workflow efficiency.

💝 The emotional impact of better systems is notable—staff feel more supported, and families gain visibility, ultimately improving experience and reducing stress.

🤖 Artificial intelligence is already in use for pharmacy packing checks, and future projects include AI-driven deprescribing and decision support—keeping solutions focused on practical clinical impact.

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.

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