Home Medicines Reviews
Managing medicines can be one of the most complex aspects of ageing at home — especially if you take multiple medications, have recent changes in your health, have seen different doctors, or were recently in hospital. Medicines can interact, cause side effects, or become harder to manage over time.
A Home Medicines Review (HMR) helps make sure your medicines are working as intended — and that you understand them in the context of your day-to-day life.
What this is
A Home Medicines Review (HMR) is a government-funded service that brings a credentialled pharmacist into your home to review all your medicines with you and, with your GP’s referral, help develop a medicine plan tailored to your needs.
Unlike a pharmacy “MedsCheck” or a brief GP medicines check at a clinic, an HMR takes place in the comfort of your own home, where all your medicines — prescription, over-the-counter, vitamins, and supplements — are gathered together and discussed in detail.
How it works
Talk to your GP
Your GP assesses whether an HMR is appropriate and, if so, refers you to a credentialled pharmacist.Pharmacist visits your home
The pharmacist talks with you (and any carer or family member you choose to include) about every medicine you use — how you take them, why, and how they make you feel.Assessment and report
The pharmacist checks for interactions, side effects, storage issues, timing problems, and medicines that might no longer be needed, and then prepares a written report for your GP.GP follow-up & medication plan
Your GP reviews the pharmacist’s findings with you and creates a Medication Management Plan that outlines agreed-upon changes, monitoring, and instructions.Possible follow-up
In some cases, follow-up visits by the pharmacist may be arranged to check progress after changes are made.
What it looks like
In people ageing at home, HMRs can:
simplify complicated medicine routines,
clarify what each medicine does and why you take it,
identify possible side effects or interactions,
help prevent medication-related problems, and
increase confidence in managing medicines.
Because the review happens at home, the pharmacist has the best possible picture of what you’re taking and how you take it — something that’s harder to achieve in clinic visits alone.
Why HMRs matter
Older people often take multiple medicines — polypharmacy — which increases the risk of side effects and mistakes. Comprehensive medicines reviews like HMRs are designed to support the quality use of medicines and help reduce medicine-related harm by bringing together the expertise of your GP, a trained pharmacist, and you or your carer.
The Australian Government subsidises HMRs because of their value in improving medicine safety and effectiveness, especially for people with complex health needs.
When you might consider an HMR
You might benefit from an HMR if you:
take multiple medicines,
have recently changed medicines,
have been in hospital or had health changes,
find it hard to remember when/how to take medicines,
feel uncertain about what your medicines are for, or
have experienced side effects.
If you’re unsure, ask your GP or pharmacist whether an HMR could help — it’s a conversation worth having.
Where to Get More Information
healthdirect (Australia)
Simple consumer explanation of what HMRs are, how they work, and the referral process https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/home-medicines-review
Australian Government Department of Health — Home Medicines Review overview
Official outline of the program’s intent and how it supports safe medicine use. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/home-medicines-review
WA Health “Manage your medicines after going home from hospital”
Plain-language PDF explaining HMR, RMMR, and other medicine review services. https://www.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/Files/Corporate/general-documents/WATAG/WAMSG/how-to-manage-meds-fact-sheet.pdf
OPAN – Medication: It’s Your Choice
Explains older adults’ rights around medicines and decisions. https://opan.org.au/information/medication-its-your-choice/
