The Home Medicines Review, explained
A Home Medicines Review (HMR) is an Australian Government–funded program in which a pharmacist visits a person at home, reviews all their medicines, and reports to their GP. It’s arranged by GP referral, costs the patient and family nothing, and has been part of Australian primary care since 2001.
What is a Home Medicines Review?
An HMR is a structured, one-on-one review of everything a person takes — prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins and herbal supplements — conducted by a pharmacist in the person’s own home. The pharmacist looks at how the medicines work together, how they’re actually being taken day to day, and any problems worth the GP’s attention, then sends the GP a written report. The GP discusses the findings with the patient and agrees on a medication management plan.
The program is funded under the Australian Government’s Community Pharmacy Programs. You may also see the older name Domiciliary Medication Management Review (DMMR) — same program.
Who is eligible for an HMR?
Eligibility is the GP’s call, made patient by patient — there is no fixed medicine-count you must reach. Broadly, HMRs are for people living in the community (their own home or a family member’s, not an aged-care facility) whose GP believes they’re at risk of medication-related problems.
Situations where GPs commonly consider one include:
- Taking five or more regular medicines, or more than one prescriber involved
- A recent hospital stay with medicine changes
- Suspected side effects, falls, dizziness or new confusion
- Difficulty managing doses, devices or a complicated routine
- Kidney or liver problems affecting how medicines behave
If any of that sounds like your family member, the signs worth watching for and how to organise a review guides go deeper.
What does an HMR cost?
Nothing, for the patient and their family. The pharmacist is paid by the program and the GP bills Medicare for their part (MBS item 900) — there is no gap fee, no out-of-pocket cost, and nothing to claim back. Any pharmacist or company charging a patient for a standard HMR is operating outside the program design.
How is an HMR different from a MedsCheck?
A MedsCheck is a shorter medicines conversation that happens in a community pharmacy, without a GP referral and without a home visit. An HMR is the deeper service: GP-referred, conducted at home where the real medicine routine lives, covering everything including what’s in the cupboard, with a formal written report back to the GP. If the situation involves multiple medicines, multiple doctors, or things going wrong at home, the HMR is the fit-for-purpose tool.
How is an HMR different from an RMMR?
A Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) is the equivalent program for people living in government-funded aged-care facilities. If your family member lives in residential aged care, their facility and GP arrange medication reviews through that program instead — an HMR isn’t available there. HomeMed Reviews provides HMRs only: home means home.
How do you arrange one?
Through the person’s GP — either by asking at an appointment, or by getting in touch with me and letting me liaise with the practice (with your family’s consent). The full step-by-step is on the how it works page. After the referral, the interview happens within the program’s 90-day window — my working aim is two weeks — and the GP has my report within three business days of the visit.
Think this fits your family?
Tell me what’s going on and I’ll give you an honest read — and if a review makes sense, I’ll help organise the referral with their GP.
Sources
For GPs & practice managers
Referral pathways and template guides.
Bp Premier and MedicalDirector setup, the referral form PDF, and service standards.