MMHA project wins National Community Quality Use of Medicines Award

Multicultural Mental Health Australia's No more 'mualagh' project has won the Community Category at the 2006 National QUM Awards...

Multicultural Mental Health Australia (MMHA), National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) and University of South Australia, Associate Professor Nicholas Procter's joint initiative, the No more 'mualagh' - Depression Medication Project recently won the Community QUM Award category at the National QUM Awards 2006 presented at Parliament House, Canberra.

The National QUM Awards are an initiative of National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS) and the Pharmaceutical Health And Rational Use of Medicines (PHARM) Committee in recognition of the achievements of a variety of projects, programs and activities within the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) sector.

The Depression Medication Project focuses on educating Afghani people living in rural Australia about depression, how it is treated and the safe use of medicine.

A range of materials were developed including English and Dari fact sheets, a fact sheet for health professionals and community service announcements. Mualagh is a Dari word meaning ‘floating in sad uncertainty’.

QUM is one of the central objectives of Australia's National Medicines Policy. QUM means selecting management options wisely, choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary; and using medicines safely and effectively.

The definition of QUM applies equally to decisions about medicine use by individuals and decisions that affect the health of the population.

“These biennial awards recognise the achievements of stakeholders in integrating QUM principles in their everyday activities,’ Dr Lynn Weekes, CEO of NPS, said.

‘The high quality of submissions gave the judging panel quite a challenge,’ she said.

The awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the National Medicines Symposium 2006 in Canberra.