Many of our patients in Red Hill, Main Ridge, Shoreham, Flinders and Balnarring live some distance from a pharmacy and manage a long list of medicines on their own. A Home Medicines Review brings an accredited pharmacist to your kitchen table for an hour to go through every medicine you take, sort out what is still needed, and report back to your GP. It is arranged by your doctor at Red Hill Family Clinic and there is no charge for the visit.

Book a GP appointment Call (03) 5985 6662

Is a Home Medicines Review right for you or your parent?

A review is worth asking about if any of these sound familiar:

  • Five or more regular medicines, or more than a dozen doses a day
  • A recent hospital stay, after which the medicines changed
  • Several specialists each prescribing something different
  • Tablets left over at the end of the month, or running out early
  • Confusion about which tablet is for what, or trouble with packaging and labels
  • Dizziness, falls, drowsiness or forgetfulness that might be medicine-related
  • You are the one managing a parent’s medicines and you are not sure it is all still right

How it works at Red Hill Family Clinic

Ask your GP

Mention it at your next appointment, or book one for the purpose. If a review is appropriate your GP writes a referral to our preferred accredited pharmacist. Family members can raise this on behalf of a parent who is a patient here.

The pharmacist visits your home

The pharmacist rings to arrange a time and comes to you, wherever you are on the peninsula. Have everything out on the table: prescription medicines, anything from the chemist or supermarket, vitamins and herbal products. The visit usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. A family member or carer is welcome to sit in.

Your GP goes through the report with you

The pharmacist sends a written report to your GP with any recommendations. At your follow-up appointment your GP discusses them with you and updates your Medication Management Plan. Nothing changes without your agreement.

What it costs

There is no charge for the pharmacist’s visit, which is funded by the Australian Government. Your GP appointments before and after the review are billed in the usual way, and bulk billing applies for eligible patients across all our consulting hours.

Who is eligible?

Anyone who lives at home (not in an aged care facility) and whose GP believes they are at risk of problems with their medicines. You can normally have a review once every two years, sooner if your circumstances change. Residents of aged care facilities have a similar service, a Residential Medication Management Review, arranged through the facility.

Common questions

What is a Home Medicines Review?

A check of all the medicines you take, carried out in your home by a pharmacist with extra accreditation in medication reviews, with a report to your GP.

How do I get a Home Medicines Review?

Ask your GP at Red Hill Family Clinic. Your GP refers you; the pharmacist contacts you.

Are home medication reviews free?

Yes. There is no charge for the pharmacist’s visit.

Does the pharmacist come to Main Ridge, Flinders and Balnarring?

Yes. The review is done wherever you live.

Can my GP do a medication review instead?

Your GP reviews your medicines at every visit. A Home Medicines Review is a dedicated hour with a pharmacist in your home and often picks up things a short appointment cannot.