Dose Administration Aid (DAA) Services
The DAA Service has been revised and simplified in order to provide greater service access for veterans.
From the 1 July 2008 GPs are able to prescribe (on authority from VAPAC) a six month prescription for a Dose Administration Aid (DAA)Service.
Previously it was a requirement that the veteran has a Home Medicines Review (HMR) prior to receiving the DAA Service. However, DVA acknowledges that this service is not available in all regions and it is therefore no longer mandatory. Where a HMR service is available, DVA strongly recommends that the veteran receives this service as studies have demonstrated greater benefit for the veteran if they have both an HMR followed by a DAA service.
The GP is able to get an authority prescription from VAPAC in the same way that other authority prescriptions are obtained. VAPAC will no longer ask the screening questions previously sought.
The community pharmacist (or an accredited pharmacist) will be able to conduct a Veterans Six Month Review after 20 weeks of DAA use. This needs to occur before all repeats are filled in order to ensure continuity of DAA service for those veterans who are managing their DAAs well. A copy of this review will need to be provided to the veteran's referring GP and also to VAPAC.
More detailed information will be posted to the website shortly.
Please forward any queries to DAA@DVA.gov.au.
The Dose Administration Aid (DAA) Service builds on DVA’s Quality Use of Medicines programs, which include the Veterans’ Medicines Advice and Therapeutics Education Services (Veterans’ MATES) program, and aims to assist the veteran community to get the most out of their medicines and to reduce medication mismanagement.
The DAA Service provides veterans, war widows and other eligible DVA clients with regularly filled pillboxes and the ongoing coordinated care of their doctor and pharmacist. Suitable veterans are identified through a Home Medicines Review and then placed on a one-month trial where they are monitored regularly by their GP and pharmacist. After a successful trial, veterans take up the service for six months, all the while under the supervision of the GP and pharmacist, before their suitability is reassessed.
Aims
The aims of the DAA Service are to improve veterans’ health outcomes through better, safer use of medication.
Objectives
- better health;
- lower mortality;
- improved medication adherence;
- reduction of solid medicines in veterans’ homes;
- better health records; and
- a cost effective service.
Steps for the veteran in using the DAA Service
The DAA Service is provided to you in 4 steps during a six-month cycle.
Ongoing care is provided by the the GP and pharmacist so that aservice is provided rather than simply a device.
Download the printable version of the Veterans Process Diagram (PDF 549Kb)