24/09/2026
🧠 Dementia Action Week is an important reminder of the role good medication management can play in supporting people living with dementia, their families and carers.
Last week, Pharmacy for Life pharmacist Julianna Neill presented on Medication Management in Dementia — what helps, what can harm, and what is coming next.
One of the key messages was simple:
Good medication management isn’t always about adding another medicine.
Sometimes the most important step is reviewing the whole picture and asking:
💊 Is this medicine still helping?
💊 Could it be contributing to confusion, sleepiness, falls or changes in behaviour?
💊 Has something else changed — such as pain, constipation, infection or sleep?
💊 Are all current medicines still needed?
💊 Would a Home Medicines Review help?
This week, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has also highlighted the important role pharmacists can play in dementia care and medicine safety.
Dementia Australia estimates around 446,500 Australians are living with dementia in 2026, with approximately 1.7 million people involved in their care.
At Pharmacy for Life, we believe pharmacists can play an important role as part of the wider healthcare team — helping identify medicine-related problems, reducing unnecessary medication burden and supporting safer, more person-centred care.
If you are caring for someone living with dementia and have concerns about their medicines, speak with your pharmacist or GP about whether a medication review may be helpful.
Pharmacy for Life – Better advice for a healthier life.
