Home medication review providers in Australia

Are All Your Medications Working Together Safely? Find Out at Home in Australia

Taking five or more medications is increasingly common among older Australians. Each medication was prescribed for a reason, but over time prescriptions accumulate from different doctors, generic substitutions occur, and nobody reviews the full picture. Drug interactions, duplicate therapies, and medications that are no longer appropriate can cause falls, confusion, hospitalisations, and worse.

Carevo connects you with AHPRA-registered accredited pharmacists in Australia who conduct Home Medicines Reviews (HMR) in your home. These pharmacists are specially credentialled for HMR and work with your GP to identify problems with your medication regimen and recommend practical changes.

The Right Support is About More Than Just Counting Pills

Are you worried about:

• Side effects that nobody has connected to a medication? Dizziness, constipation, confusion, and falls are often medication-related. A thorough review identifies these links.
• Medications from multiple prescribers not being reviewed together? A specialist adds a medication, your GP adds another, and nobody has looked at how they interact.
• Difficulty remembering which tablet to take when? Complex medication schedules, especially after a hospital discharge, are a common cause of errors and missed doses.
• Medications that were prescribed years ago but never reviewed? Some medications are intended for short-term use. Others may have better alternatives. A review brings this to light.

Accredited pharmacists through Carevo solve these worries, providing a thorough, confidential review that gives you and your GP a clear picture of your medications and a practical action plan.

How a Home Medicines Review Helps You Stay Safe

Australia accredited pharmacists through Carevo conduct structured HMR visits that go well beyond reading a medication list.

What Happens During a Home Medicines Review

• Medication reconciliation: The pharmacist reviews every medication you take, including prescribed medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbal supplements, and anything else you use regularly.
• Drug interaction checking: A systematic check for clinically significant interactions between your medications, including interactions involving food, alcohol, and supplements.
• Dose and timing review: Assessing whether your current doses and dosing schedules are appropriate for your age, weight, kidney function, and current clinical picture.
• Adherence and practical barriers: Identifying reasons you may be missing doses, including packaging that is hard to open, confusing labelling, or medications that taste unpleasant.
• Written report and recommendations: A detailed report is sent to your GP, who uses it to make medication changes. The pharmacist discusses the findings with you in plain language during the visit.

Why a Home Visit Produces More Useful Results Than a Clinic Review

A pharmacist visiting your home sees your actual medication storage, your dosette box or blister packs, and any medications stored in multiple places around the house. They can identify expired medications, medications you have stopped taking but kept, and practical issues that would never be apparent in a clinic setting. This context makes the review far more actionable.

Why Australia Residents Trust Home Medicines Review Pharmacists Through Carevo

AHPRA-Registered and HMR-Accredited

Pharmacists must hold current registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia under AHPRA to practise, and conducting an HMR requires specific HMR accreditation. HMR accreditation requires completion of an approved credential program and is a separate qualification from general pharmacy registration. You can verify a pharmacist’s registration on the AHPRA public register, and you can ask each provider to confirm their HMR accreditation.

Working Directly with Your GP

The HMR process is a collaborative one. The accredited pharmacist visits you, then sends a written report to your GP. Your GP reviews the recommendations and discusses any changes with you at a follow-up appointment. This GP-pharmacist collaboration is built into the Home Medicines Review program and ensures medication changes are medically supervised.

No Cost to Eligible Patients

The Home Medicines Review is a free national program. The accredited pharmacist’s fee is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing through the Community Pharmacy Agreement and is paid by the Pharmacy Programs Administrator (PPA), not by Medicare and not by you. An HMR funded by the Department must be provided at no charge to the patient, so there is no out-of-pocket cost for a standard HMR. The GP’s contribution to the referral is supported separately through MBS item 900. This makes the HMR one of the more accessible allied health services available to eligible Australians.

Making Funding Simple

Providers through Carevo are experienced in navigating the funding for home medication reviews.

• Free Home Medicines Review program (GP referral): The primary funding pathway. Eligible patients are referred by their GP, or an eligible specialist, to an accredited pharmacist for a home visit. The pharmacist’s service is funded by the Australian Government (Community Pharmacy Agreement) and paid through the Pharmacy Programs Administrator, so there is no charge to you. Your GP must initiate the referral. Most patients with complex medication regimens who are living at home are eligible.
• DVA: Department of Veterans Affairs card holders are eligible for a Home Medicines Review under DVA arrangements. Contact DVA or your provider to confirm eligibility and the referral pathway.
• Support at Home (formerly Home Care Packages): Support at Home does not fund the pharmacist-led Home Medicines Review itself, since the free national HMR program covers that. Support at Home nursing care can cover separate medication-management activities, such as administering medications, injections, or managing complex schedules, if these are identified as a care need.
• NDIS Plans: Home medicines reviews are not typically funded through NDIS. If you are an NDIS participant, the HMR may be funded through the free national HMR program via a GP referral instead. Speak with your support coordinator if you are unsure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can get a Home Medicines Review? Most people living at home who take multiple regular medications and whose GP considers a review would be beneficial are eligible. The HMR program is particularly targeted at older Australians on complex regimens, people recently discharged from hospital, and people with multiple chronic conditions. Your GP initiates the referral. Ask your GP whether an HMR is appropriate for you.

How long does a home medicines review take? A typical HMR visit takes between 45 minutes and 90 minutes. The pharmacist needs time to review all your medications, ask questions about how and when you take them, and discuss any concerns you have. You are encouraged to have a family member or carer present if this is helpful.

How often can I have a Home Medicines Review? Under the HMR program, patients are generally eligible for one Home Medicines Review every two years. A further review within that period can be arranged if your situation changes significantly, such as after a hospital admission with medication changes, where your GP considers it clinically necessary. A Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) equivalent exists for residential aged care.

Ready for a Comprehensive Review of All Your Medications?

Get matched with a home medication review in Australia For a free, no-obligation chat about your home medication review needs.