Changes to the DVA DAA Service
Anna McIntyre, HMR August 08
The DVA has recently introduced a Dose Administration Aid service, with the aim of improving veterans' health outcomes through better, safer use of medicines.
It provides eligible DVA clients with regularly filled dose administration aids (e.g. Webster packs), and the ongoing coordinated care of their GP and pharmacist.
In response to feedback from GPs, the DAA service has been simplified in order to provide greater service access for veterans.
The changes include the following:
- The initial month trial and associated 3 week review have been abolished
- The Veterans Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Centre (VAPAC) authority screening questions have been abolished
- The GP is able to get an authority prescription from the VAPAC in the same way other authority prescriptions are obtained
- The only questions asked by VAPAC are to determine whether the client is living independently (i.e. not in a Residential Aged Care Facility), and whether an HMR has been conducted
While an HMR is no longer mandatory it is still strongly recommended, with the only real exception being for those in rural/remote areas where it is very difficult to obtain an HMR within a reasonable timeframe.
The GP may now obtain both the authority prescription for the six months DAA service (original & 25 repeats), and the authority prescription for the Veterans Six Monthly Review (VSMR) at the same time.
The DVA website is currently being updated with new information.
If you require further information on the DVA DAA service or on the HMR program please contact Anna McIntyre HMR Facilitator at the Ballarat and District Division of General Practice on .
A step by step outline of the DAA process
This article is available online at http://bddgp.org.au/article/2008/08/dva-changes
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