MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY QUALITY USE OF MEDICINES PROGRAM

Since 2004, FECCA has been working in partnership with the National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS), a non-profit, independent, Australian organisation that promotes the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM).

The Multicultural Community Quality Use of Medicines Program adopts best-practice health promotion and community participation processes to promote the quality use of medicines to Australia’s multicultural communities.

What is ‘Quality Use of Medicines’ (QUM)?
QUM means selecting management options wisely; choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary; and using medicines safely and effectively. Medicines include anything available on prescription, medicines available over the counter, and any traditional or complimentary medicines.

Why is QUM important?
More than 70% of Australians use medicines at any one time and around 140,000 visits to hospitals each year are medicines related, many due a lack of information or skills to wisely manage medicines. It is estimated that between 50 - 75% of medicine related hospitalisations may be preventable.

Formative research has revealed a range of factors that pose QUM challenges for some culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians. Language barriers, low levels of cultural competency of health systems and the experience of navigating an unfamiliar medicines system contribute to an overrepresentation of CALD Australians in figures for those presenting to hospitals with medicines-related problems.

What are some Program highlights?

Multilingual resources

Although medicines can make you feel better and help you get well, it’s important to know that all medicines have risks as well as benefits. Some of the risks involved with taking medicines include:

• harmful reactions when the medicine is combined with certain foods, drinks, vitamins, and traditional or other medicines;
• the medicine not working as expected; and
• the medicine causing additional health problems.

To help reduce the risks of taking medicines, NPS and FECCA have produced a number of free bilingual resources in Chinese, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, and Macedonian:

Research with CALD communities

Building on research undertaken in 2004 with Chinese, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese communities, FECCA is currently undertaking research into QUM issues amongst communities from Arabic-speaking backgrounds. This research engages with health professionals, community service agencies, academics and community representatives across Australia to investigate some of the barriers in accessing appropriate health information and potentially effective strategies to promote the safe and effective use of medicines. FECCA and NPS are grateful to the Arab Council of Australia and the Victorian Arabic Social Services for their assistance in undertaking this research. The final report is available here.

FECCA has commenced research with new and emerging communities and humanitarian entrants. This research will capture community perspectives and insights from health professional and settlement services, with the outcomes to inform future programs with new and emerging communities and humanitarian entrants. If you have any queries contact Nelia Hyndman-Rizik, Research and Program Officer, on (02) 6232 5755.

Generic medicines campaign

Between November 2008 and April 2009, the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) and FECCA undertook a campaign to promote awareness and understanding around generic medicines amongst culturally and linguistically diverse communities. This campaign was part of NPS’s wider Generic medicines are an equal choice national awareness campaign.

Community service announcements and interviews with health professionals were broadcast in Cantonese, Mandarin and Italian on SBS and other community-language radio stations across Australia. Printed in-language resources are also now available in Chinese (simplified and traditional), Italian, Vietnamese and Greek.

Previous research undertaken by FECCA and NPS has highlighted the need for more accessible information around generic medicines for CALD seniors. The recent campaign aimed to enhance awareness and dispel misconceptions about generic medicines, ensuring that diverse Australians have the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their health. A key message of the campaign was that generic medicines contain the same active ingredient as the original brand medicines and must meet the same Australian Government standards as other medicines, although they may look different or come in different packaging.

For information about generic medicines, or to order free translated brochures about generic medicines, visit http://www.nps.org.au/consumers/campaigns/generic_medicines.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Resource

In collaboration with the Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) Victoria, NPS and FECCA have produced a teaching module to be used in English language classes with adult learners.
Download this ESL teaching resource that includes short stories, activity workbooks and audio files themed around using medicines safely.

Get to know your medicines campaign targeting Chinese and Italian speaking seniors.

Between September and December 2008, FECCA and NPS ran a national Get to know your medicines campaign with Chinese- and Italian-speaking seniors. This campaign promoted information about the risks and benefits of medicine use and how to minimise risks and use medicines safely.

The campaign included:

• Radio advertising and interviews in Cantonese, Mandarin and Italian on SBS National, 2AC, 2CR, 3CW and Rete Italia;
• Community education seminars run in-language through Chinese and Italian organisations nationally; and,
• Distribution of translated information resources including: a bi-lingual Medicine List, a brochure about safe use of medicines called Medimate and a list of questions to ask the Doctor or Pharmacist about their medicines.

As part of this campaign, Chinese and Italian organisations across Australia ran community seminars for Mandarin, Cantonese and Italian-speaking seniors about using medicine safely and wisely. The seminars included practical tips and interactive sessions with bilingual health professionals.

To access campaign material or to listen to our radio community service announcements, visit the NPS website at: www.nps.org.au/multilingualqum.

Families get to know their medicines program:

The Families get to know their medicines project is an innovative curriculum package designed to improve children’s family of origin language skills, whilst at the same time enhancing their understanding of QUM. The curriculum package is designed for children aged between ten and sixteen years old. Central to the curriculum package is the use of the ‘kitchen table’ dynamic to enhance shared learning between children and their extended families. Take-home activities are designed to improve children’s family of origin language skills while increasing knowledge of QUM.
This curriculum resource was piloted during 2007 in Queensland After Hours Ethnic Schooling Programs (AHES) teaching Chinese, Greek and Vietnamese.

The pilot project engaged government, not-for-profit and community sector stakeholders at national, state-based and local levels. FECCA and NPS worked in partnership with Community Languages Australia (CLA), the Queensland LOTE centre, the Ethnic Schools Association of Queensland, AHES teachers and leaders.

For more information about the Families get to know their medicines trial please contact

Please click on the logo below to find out more about NPS:

USEFUL LINKS

	NPS Medimate Information on the quality use of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and herbal and natural remedies.
	Consumers Medicines Information (CMI) Detailed information about your prescription and some other medicines, online or on request from your doctor and pharmacist.
	NPS Medicines Line Phone a pharmacist 1300 888 763 for the cost of a local call.
	Medicines Talk News and views about medicines, by consumers for consumers.