Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and NPS MedicineWise have partnered to ensure consumers are at the centre of quality use of medicines and better health decision-making.

“Consumers are at the centre of the health system, and the decisions they make and actions they take are a vital component of ensuring that society achieves good health outcomes, better care experiences and safe and high-quality health care,” said Leanne Wells, CHF CEO.

“The partnership is particularly important against the backdrop of quality use of medicines and medicine safety named as a new National Health Priority,” said A/Prof Steve Morris, CEO of NPS MedicineWise.

Under the agreement, CHF and NPS MedicineWise will focus on building leadership and capacity within the health consumer community to strengthen participation and embed best practice consumer and community engagement across quality use of medicines programs and initiatives.  

Key priorities include promoting value-based health care, quality use of medicines, consumer co-design and health literacy; a consumer leadership and mentoring program; and examining consumer health literacy and activation from the perspective of ‘grass roots’ consumers as it relates to medicines and safe use to inform policy and programs.

“The partnership leverages the strengths of each organisation to support a consumer and quality use of medicines focus to everything we do,” said Wells.