Check Your Medicines campaign wrap-up
The Check Your Medicines campaign has ended, after a three-month focus on the importance of good medication management as a strategy to reduce falls amongst older adults. The campaign included events and activities for both health professionals and the wider community including a launch event in Merriwa, a media campaign and a forum held in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia.
The Check Your Medicines campaign saw the launch of our third animation, Check Your Medicines with Nancy, which can be viewed along with our other animations here. Check Your Medicines also saw the introduction of a new countertop display which you can find displayed at pharmacies across the state.
Two grants were awarded as part of the Check Your Medicines campaign to help support programs aimed at addressing the campaign’s key messages. The City of Armadale held a Check Your Medicines seminar, with keynote speakers from local Armadale services, including Geriatric Consultant Dr Nicholas Waldren. City of Armadale Mayor Henry Zelones OAM, JP saw the importance of good medication management for local residents saying “If you experience any side effects, especially when taking sleeping tablets, take time to have a medicine review with your GP or Pharmacist and reduce your risk of a fall.”
Canning Vale Medical Centre also received a Check Your Medicines grant and held two events. The first event, an GP Education Day gave clinic staff including doctors, nurses and pharmacists an update on falls management, pathways and referral services. For the community, a Falls Prevention Education Day with presenters including pharmacist Dr Andrew Stafford, physiotherapist Kevin Cheung and podiatrist Carmen Mok. The event also included an interactive Tai Chi session by Master Trainer Sam Sujatna.
Even with the campaign having wrapped up you can still help older adults to prevent falls. Check out our facilitator guides to find out how you can run a session on a range of topics here.
The next campaign, Move Your Body, launches on 1 September 2019. Keep an eye on the falls prevention eNews for more information on how to get involved.
