Aged Care Reform
Victorian coroner urges national medication safety standards after three aged care deaths
Aged Care Reform
Victorian coroner urges national medication safety standards after three aged care deaths
Aged Care ReformPolicy & LegislationCompliance & Quality
The Weekly Source · 3 min read · 2 days ago
Original source
Summarised by Stellar
Key points5 points
- Three Victorian aged care residents died in 2024-2025 after receiving other residents' medication, prompting a coroner's investigation.
- The coroner found no national medication safety standards exist for residential aged care, and recommended urgent development of such standards.
- In two of the three fatal cases, staff delayed escalating to emergency services, highlighting gaps in emergency response protocols.
- Victoria will mandate that only Registered Nurses can administer medications in aged care from 1 July 2026.
- Medication management remains one of the top two most-complained-about issues in residential aged care, with recent reforms not fully addressing Royal Commission concerns.
Summary
A Victorian coroner has called for urgent national medication safety standards in residential aged care after three residents died from receiving other residents' medication. The coroner found that in two of the three cases, staff delayed calling emergency services, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission confirmed no national standards exist. The Inspector-General of Aged Care described the cases as 'horrific' and noted gaps in regulation. Providers should prepare for mandatory standards and enhanced emergency response protocols, as Victoria will require RN-only medication administration from July 2026.