Wed 23 July 2025
New General Medicine Standards in Australian pharmacy to lift patient safety
The updated AdPha General Medicine Standards lead the latest issue of Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (JPPR)
A newly updated pharmacy practice standard for General Medicine has been released by Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha), setting out best practice principles and professional standards for pharmacists working in one of the largest and most complex areas of acute inpatient care.
The AdPha General Medicine Standards headline the latest issue of AdPha’s flagship research publication, the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (JPPR). The revised Standards outline best practice principles, emphasise person-centred care, provide clear guidance on prioritising clinical pharmacy services, update recommended staffing ratios, and present new evidence demonstrating the impact of pharmacists in General Medicine.
In an accompanying editorial, the Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (IMSANZ) welcomes and endorses the Standards, noting that they clearly define the critical role of pharmacists in the care of general medicine patients across Australia and New Zealand.
Associate Professor Ar Kar Aung, Vice President of IMSANZ, said the Standards will strengthen the foundations of safe, high-quality care in general medicine.
‘General Medicine is a team sport. The diversity and complexity in General Medicine undoubtedly call for a multidisciplinary approach, with emphasis on shared decision making across the disciplines, to deliver high-value personalised care to achieve the best outcomes for the patients.
‘This new Standard brings together the evidence for clinical pharmacy services in General Medicine and provides practical resource recommendations to support better service planning and delivery.’
AdPha President Tom Simpson FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt) says AdPha members continue to lead the way in advanced pharmacy practice across Australia’s busiest hospitals.
‘Hospital pharmacists have long been at the frontline of care for general medicine patients who often have very complex medical needs.
‘With hospitalisations on the rise, it’s never been more vital to equip pharmacists with the right guidance and evidence to deliver safer, more effective care.
‘These new Standards, developed by our members in partnership with expert clinicians, give general medicine pharmacy teams clear, practical guidelines to improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital stays and readmissions, and enable safer transitions between care settings.’
Lead author Paul Firman FANZCAP (Generalist) says general medicine pharmacists have long worked hand-in-hand with physicians to advance collaborative prescribing — a model now being adopted across Australia.
‘General medicine pharmacists led the way in developing, trialing and implementing collaborative prescribing. It’s inspiring to see what started as an emerging service in the last standards now embedded as best practice nationwide.
‘We’re proud to keep building on this work, demonstrating the vital role pharmacists play in the care and management of general medicine patients.’
The June 2025 issue of JPPR is now available, free – as always – for AdPha members.