The Quality Standards Resource Centre helps extend understanding of the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, which took effect from 1 November 2025. You can search for resources by using keywords, or filtering by standard, outcome and audience. Before using the Resource Centre, please read the terms of use.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medication chart maximum duration in residential aged care
This resource outlines the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medication chart's maximum duration in residential aged care. It explains the use of both paper-based and electronic National Residential Medication Charts (NRMC), highlighting their role in managing prescriptions, medication supply, and administration. The document provides guidance on compliance, chart expiry, and medication safety within aged care facilities. This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Palliative care education and training
This resource provides information on free palliative care education programs available for health and aged care workers. It includes details about various training opportunities, such as online courses and in-person sessions, designed to enhance skills in delivering high-quality palliative care. The programs cover key topics like symptom management, communication, and multidisciplinary care. This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
National framework for advance care planning documents
This resource provides a nationally consistent framework for advance care planning documents in Australia. It outlines principles, ethical considerations, and best practices for creating, implementing, and accessing advance care plans, including Advance Care Directives. It aims to guide policymakers, administrators, and healthcare providers in recognising people’s values, preferences, and rights regarding future care.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Case study - Safe and Appropriate use of Psychotropic Medicines - Residential Aged Care
This resource is a fictional scenario that follows an older person’s care pathway with a residential aged care provider. The resource focuses on the systems and processes to support high-quality care of older people living with cognitive impairment. It includes 4 key priority areas: person-centred care, medication management, managing changed behaviours and transitions of care.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Case study - Safe and Appropriate use of Psychotropic Medicines - In-home Aged Care
This resource is a fictional scenario that follows an older person’s care pathway with an in-home aged care provider. The resource focuses on the systems and processes to support high-quality care of older people living with dementia. It includes 4 key priority areas: person-centred care, medication management, managing changed behaviours and transitions of care.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Safe and appropriate use of psychotropic medicines for aged care - Fact sheet
This fact sheet is informed by the Psychotropic Medicines in Cognitive Disability or Impairment Clinical Care Standard (CCS), developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. The CCS describes the safe and appropriate use of psychotropic medicines for people with cognitive disability or impairment, in a way that upholds their rights, dignity, health and quality of life.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Clinical governance and quality improvement to support medication management
This resource outlines clinical governance and quality improvement systems to support safe medication management. It requires health service organisations to implement systems for procuring, prescribing, dispensing, and monitoring medicines.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
RACGP aged care clinical guide (Silver Book) - Part B - Advance care planning
This guide covers advance care planning for older adults, detailing the process of discussing patients' values, appointing a decision-maker, and documenting preferences for future care. It outlines the general practitioner’s role, steps for initiating discussions, assessing decision-making capacity, storing care plans, and ensuring patients' wishes are respected during their illness trajectory.
Palliative care knowledge network - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander care
This resource provides culturally safe and responsive palliative care information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It includes guidance for health professionals on culturally appropriate care, patient and family journeys, and relevant research and practices to support respectful and effective healthcare for Indigenous communities.
Electronic prescribing
This resource outlines the framework for electronic prescribing, offering an alternative to paper prescriptions for healthcare providers and consumers. It explains the benefits of electronic prescriptions, such as reducing errors, improving efficiency, and supporting medication safety. The resource also covers technical and legislative requirements for implementing electronic prescriptions in various healthcare settings.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Electronic prescriptions
This resource provides an overview of electronic prescriptions, which offer a digital alternative to paper prescriptions. It explains how electronic prescriptions can be issued by healthcare providers and stored on digital devices for convenience. The resource also details the benefits of the Active Script List (ASL) for managing multiple prescriptions, enhancing efficiency and medicine safety.
Advance Care Planning Australia
This resource provides information on advance care planning, which enables people to make decisions about their future health care in case they are unable to communicate their preferences. It helps ensure that healthcare providers and loved ones understand and respect their treatment choices. The resource includes tools, forms, and advice for creating an advance care plan.
In our care into your hands: Aboriginal stories about approaching the end of life
This 2015 resource shares Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories about approaching end of life, emphasising cultural practices and the role of storytelling in palliative care. It offers insight into supporting culturally sensitive care for people nearing the end of life.
This resource was developed by a state/territory government or organisation and therefore its applicability and usefulness may be limited.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Discussion Starter – Working Out What’s Right For You
This resource includes information and tools to support thinking and talking about wishes and preferences for care at the end of life. This resource has been developed for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, their community, and those working with them. The resource also includes information about identifying decision makers and advance care planning.
Guidelines for pharmacists supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with medicines management
This resource describes the professional obligations of pharmacists when supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with culturally safe and responsive care and medicines management. It includes information about appropriate and effective processes, desired behaviour or minimum standards of good practice and information about duties and responsibilities.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
Residential Medication Management Review and Quality Use of Medicines
This page provides information on the intent of the Residential Medication Management Review and Quality Use of Medicines (RMMR) Program. It outlines its purpose, participation requirements, claiming and payment processes, frequently asked questions, program rules, and extra available downloads.
Medicines use in older people
This resource is chapter six of the Fourth Atlas 2021 of Healthcare Variations. The chapter examines medicines use in people aged 75 and over, focusing on polypharmacy, medication management reviews (MMRs), and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) dispensing. It highlights variations in medication use and recommends improving access to MMR services and interventions for safe, effective medication use in older populations.
The Poisons Standard (the SUSMP)
The Poisons Standard (SUSMP) is a resource that classifies medicines and chemicals into schedules for regulatory control in Australia. It outlines guidelines for labelling, packaging, and handling of substances. Key points include updates on scheduling decisions, which assist in public safety, healthcare, and chemical management.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
High risk medicines resources
This resource provides guidance on high-risk medicines, including safety alerts, notices, and best practices for safe prescribing, dispensing, and administration. It includes information on insulin and anticoagulant safety, monitoring tools, and best practice recommendations to improve medication safety and reduce harm from high-risk medications across healthcare settings.
This resource may refer to information that will be updated from 1 November 2025 to align with the new Aged Care Act and Quality Standards.
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation - Medicines & Pharmacy
This resources provides information for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and other communities related to medicine use and management. It includes a collection of resources for health workers involved in prescribing and supplying medicines in these settings.