Quality Use of Medicines Alliance awarded health education and health literacy grants

MEDIA RELEASE

Quality Use of Medicines Alliance

Two new grants to support consumer health literacy and improve the use of medicines will see peak health and consumer organisations working side-by-side.

The Quality Use of Medicines Alliance a consortium of eight health and consumer organisations, will align their work across the two grants, awarded under the Australian Government’s Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology (QUDTP) Program.

The grants will run over a 2-year period and address priority quality use of medicines issues for atopic dermatitis, gout, antidepressants in older people and oral anticoagulants.

The Quality Use of Medicines Alliance brings together unique expertise from education providers, consumer groups, researchers, health professional colleges, peak bodies and member organisations to develop free educational activities, at scale, for a national audience of health professionals and consumers.

The Health Professional Education Grant led by Medcast Pty Ltd will leverage evidence-based approaches to create a comprehensive suite of interactive learning activities and resources.

A/Prof Stephen Barnett, Director of Medcast, emphasised the project’s potential to drive positive health outcomes.

“Our collective track record of success in delivering national-scale educational programs to healthcare professionals and consumers positions us well to build on established strategies and create meaningful impact,” said A/Prof Barnett.

Complementing this effort, the Consumer Health Literacy Grant led by the Health Care Consumers’ Association will ensure consumers’ needs and perspectives are reflected.

“By bringing together health professional and consumer organisations we have a unique opportunity to co-design educational programs and complementary resources to address medication issues for millions of Australians,” said Ms. Darlene Cox, Executive Director of the Association.

The Quality Use of Medicines Alliance consists of:

•Medcast: a nationwide provider of independent education for a range of health professions
•Health Care Consumers’ Association: a peak health consumer organisation working to improve the quality and safety of health care
•Arthritis Australia: the leading national arthritis charity supporting people living with all types of arthritis
•Eczema Support Australia: a national support network advocating for people living with eczema
•Pharmaceutical Society of Australia: the national peak professional pharmacy body representing Australia’s 36,000 pharmacists across all sectors and specialisations
•QUM Connect: a specialist consultancy with experience and expertise in creating and implementing quality use of medicines initiatives to improve health outcomes
•Royal Australian College of General Practitioners: Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation responsible for maintaining standards for quality clinical practice, education and training, and research in Australian general practice
•Wiser Healthcare: a research collaboration involving the University of Sydney, Bond University, Monash University and the University of Wollongong, with a special interest in research in the areas of rational test ordering and quality use of medicines.

The Quality Use of Medicines Alliance will collaborate with a wide range of health and consumer organisations over two years until August 2025.

For media inquiries and further information, please contact:
Sue Brown
M: 0409 328 421 E: [email protected]

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