South Australian peak body for Aboriginal health
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Understanding medicines, knowing when to take them, how to take them and what side effects to expect are critical to the health and well being of Aboriginal community people.
Working in partnership, The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (ACHSA) and the National Prescribing Service (NPS) have developed a ‘train the trainer’ program. The program provides the skills and knowledge to allow Senior Aboriginal Health Workers to train their junior colleagues to counsel and support clients with the management of their asthma, diabetes, hypertension and general medications.
For the past few months the Senior Aboriginal Health Workers from Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service, Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council and Victorian Aboriginal Health Services have participated in the pilot program to equip them to take the course back to their own community. Feedback from this group has been central to the development of the program.
During the week of the 24th of September the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Council Senior Aboriginal Health Worker/ Trainers Vaughan Matsumoto, Cassandra Matsumoto and David Batty delivered their first education session in the Good Medicines Better Health Course. It was a great success. The trainers delivered two sessions on the Quality Use of Medicines in Diabetes and Hypertension to the Certificate IV Aboriginal Primary Health Care students at the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council based in Broome.
It is anticipated that the sites of Pt. Lincoln and Melbourne will deliver sections of the course to their colleagues within the next two months.
