Esther Hernandez Medication Management

20/04/2026

Face to face home medicines review is always best but with current limited funding plus fuel crisis, patients are missing out. Telehealth makes sense for most follow up visits and initial visits when patients do not have a credentialed pharmacist live near by!

06/04/2026

Have you ever come across a healthcare service provider that is capped at just 30 patients per month? All consultant pharmacists delivering Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) do as the government has a budget to adhere and somehow out of all healthcare service providers, only we have this rule applied...

HMR is a fully government-funded service, and each consultant pharmacist is limited to 30 patients per month. In addition, we are to absorb all administrative workload and travel costs (unless patients are located more than 200 km away). The service must be conducted in the patient's home, with very limited exceptions (safety or religious reasons), and telehealth is not permitted. Despite rising living costs and fuel prices roaring, remuneration has not changed since 2019.

This program plays a vital role in medication safety: reducing hospitalisations, minimising medication burden, and improving quality of life. However, increasing constraints have led to burnout, with many consultant pharmacists leaving the field. As a result, many Australians remain unaware that this service exists.

To ensure equitable access, meaningful changes are needed urgently. You can help by raising awareness: if you know someone taking five or more medicines, experiencing side effects from medication, or who has been on the same list of medication and doses for 10, 20 years, encourage them to speak with their GP about a Home Medicines Review. If you feel the restrictions are unjustified, please reach out to your local Labour members.

For some of Australia’s most vulnerable patients, a Home Medicines Review (HMR) is not just delayed, it never happens.

07/03/2026

Important Update:

Due to government rules, consultant pharmacists are limited to 30 Home Medicine Reviews per month. My waiting list has become too long, so I can no longer accept new referrals from doctors who have not referred to me before unless the cap is removed.

I am also only able to see patients within the Wollongong area. Consultant pharmacists must cover our own travel expenses, and this service has not been indexed since 2019, so travelling long distances is no longer financially possible.

Another important point - Home Medicine Reviews cannot be done via telehealth. The rules require the consultation to be conducted in the patient’s home, so if you think meeting up at say at your office in Wollongong, it is not permitted.

These restrictions are program rules set by the government, consultant pharmacists have been trying to ask the government to have this cap removed so Australians that need this program the most can have access to it. If you want to contact any labour members about this to support us to deliver this critical medication safety program, please do!

If your GP has never made a referral to me previously, they can find other consultant pharmacists here:
https://www.psa.org.au/accreditation-register/

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.

PSA Credentialed Pharmacists Directory The information presented reflects accuracy as per the data provided to the PSA at the time of publication. Please be advised that the PSA does not assume responsibility for the outcomes of any actions taken based on the information in this directory. If you ha...

27/02/2026

I have heard from GP colleagues before that I always find something even when they are sure everything is perfect in their patients medication regimen.
My consultant pharmacist colleague explained it so well at this radio interview!

When you think of a pharmacist, you probably think of someone giving you medication to take. But for some, their whole job is to deprescribe – assess what drugs you’re on now, and which ones are no longer necessary. Research shows that for a portion of older adults, deprescribing drugs can even ...

27/02/2026

Medication review not urgent? Think again.

Last week, I also had an urgent request to see a person with mental health issues living with disability who urgently needed a medication review. I had to tell them I can't see them this month, even though I have time to...

With "luck", I had one patient cancel due to illness, so I called them to say I could come! If I hadn’t been able to attend, where would this person have gone next? Most likely, the hospital...

26/02/2026

Due to a cap of 30 patients per month, some patients died while waiting for a credentialed pharmacist to provide the service.

This in-demand credentialed pharmacist can’t adequately service her community due to restrictions on the Home Medicines Review (HMR) service.

26/02/2026

If you take 5 or more regular medication, home medicine review is indicated.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9182188/canberra-pharmacists-call-for-home-medicine-review-caps-to-end/?fbclid=IwVERDUAQMhHxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeNBeCMAbljeObNvgjK-vSw1YOWgHA-gU8Db4xuJCV6NzgOVM689McrJrfeB4_aem_uT3vgVlud3CWkbdiSNM4jw

Pharmacists want caps on home medicine reviews scrapped.

25/02/2026

Here is more on

Pharmacists are calling for more funding and caps to be removed from a long-running government program that helps patients avoid hospital.

25/02/2026

Many of my wonderful consultant pharmacist colleagues staying up late working on getting the message across nationwide!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dnasri_uncapcare-activity-7432173237696020480-UppM?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAABWU7PoBUDiP1S5ZzopUnbgJ5LoHrZQfgKU&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_link

“𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 ‘𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚-𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜’ 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.” That’s how The Australian described Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs). This week, I spoke wi...

24/02/2026

Well chatting to a wonderful, competent and caring local GP about home medicine reviews, she mentioned that she runs a GP-led multidisciplinary menopause clinic - Menopause Wellness Hub! Multidisciplinary is the way of the future! If any local ladies are looking for something like this, you won't go wrong seeing Dr Jayabalan and her team!
https://www.psa.org.au/advocacy/uncap-care-fairer-access-to-safe-use-of-medicines/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQKSklleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETI0Z3VBWDhrWVZCQ0FOdDFnc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmrdCYbPyRMotna0ZXCN680BC5F7ApqwKYPx5XncfI3JEu2LNnMQx6VRd3IU_aem_XKNu_M1mDWwQoui5gnI6vw

22/02/2026

To advocate for something I truly believe in, Home Medicine Review, I did something that felt very brave for me… I made and just posted my very first reel!

I’ve never really been one to put myself out there like this. But HMR matters. It changes lives. It prevents harm. It gives people clarity, confidence, and control over their medicines. I truly feel passionate about it, hence I am stepping out of my comfort zone to ensure this service continues to benefit as many Australians as possible!