Home Medicines Review

When someone is on a long list of medicines, the safest place to untangle them is often where they actually take them: at the kitchen table. A Home Medicines Review (HMR) sends an accredited pharmacist to your home to go through everything you take, then report back to your GP. For people with complex medication needs, it is one of the most valuable services in the system, and it is free.

What is a Home Medicines Review?

An HMR is a structured medicines review carried out in your home. Your GP refers you, an accredited pharmacist visits, reviews all your medicines and how you really use them, and writes a report for your GP. You and your doctor then agree on any changes. It is funded by the Australian Government through the Pharmacy Programs Administrator, so there is no cost to eligible patients.

Seeing your medicines in their real setting matters. The pharmacist can spot the expired box at the back of the cupboard, the two products doing the same job, the doses that are hard to manage, and the practical barriers that never come up in a clinic.

Who is it for?

An HMR is aimed at people living in the community who have complex or high-risk medication needs. Your GP may suggest one if you:

• take many medicines, or medicines that need careful monitoring;
• have several conditions or see multiple prescribers;
• have recently left hospital with changed medicines;
• have had side effects, confusion about doses, falls, or trouble managing your medicines.

You cannot refer yourself: an HMR starts with your GP. If you think you would benefit, ask your doctor. (People in residential aged care have an equivalent service, the Residential Medication Management Review.)

How it works

Your GP completes a referral and you choose a pharmacy or accredited pharmacist. The pharmacist arranges a home visit, goes through every medicine including over-the-counter products and supplements, and discusses how you take them and any problems. They then send a written report to your GP, who reviews it with you and updates your medicines and management plan. You can ask for a simple medicines list to keep.

Safety and what it does not do

The pharmacist does not change your medicines during the visit; recommendations go to your GP, who makes the decisions with you. An HMR is not urgent care. If you feel unwell, have a bad reaction to a medicine, or have an emergency, contact your doctor or call Triple Zero (000) rather than waiting for a review.

How it’s regulated in Australia

HMRs are funded under the Community Pharmacy Agreement and administered by the Pharmacy Programs Administrator. They are conducted by pharmacists who hold additional accreditation to perform medication reviews, and who are registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia. The GP referral and the collaborative report-back are built into the program to keep your whole care team aligned.

Official sources

• Pharmacy Programs Administrator: Home Medicines Review
• Healthdirect: managing your medicines

An HMR starts with a chat with your GP. Use the button below to find a pharmacy that offers Home Medicines Review near you.