About the data - Medication management reviews, 75 years and over
Data are sourced from the MBS dataset. This dataset includes information on MBS claims processed by Services Australia. It covers a wide range of services (attendances, procedures, tests) provided across primary care and hospital settings.
The dataset does not include:
- Services for publicly funded patients in hospital
- Services for patients in hospital outpatient clinics where claims are not made to the MBS
- Services covered under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs arrangements.
The dataset does not allow analysis by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status.
The dataset includes the MBS claims for RMMR or HMR services provided by medical practitioners. These claims are made after the accredited pharmacist conducts the review and the medical practitioner discusses it with the patient. Claims made by accredited pharmacists for conducting the review are funded under the Community Pharmacy Agreement, which is a separate dataset.
Rates are based on the number of people who had at least one MBS-subsidised service for a medication management review (RMMR or HMR) per 100,000 people aged 75 years and over in 2018–19. Patient counts reflect the number of unique patients, regardless of the number of services a patient may have received in the year.
The analysis and maps are based on the patient’s postcode recorded in their Medicare file and not the location of the service.
Rates are age and sex standardised to allow comparisons between populations with different age and sex structures.
For all MBS items in the Atlas, some data have been suppressed to manage volatility and confidentiality. This process takes into account the Australian Government Department of Health’s requirements for reporting MBS data (see the Technical Supplement). Data suppression for this item has been extensive, and affects all of the Northern Territory, and remote areas of Western Australia and Queensland. Reporting for the Northern Territory was possible at the territory level. Most local areas (Statistical Area Level 3 – SA3) were suppressed to prevent identification of the provider (practitioner or business entity). This is indicated on the maps in grey.
About the Atlas and how to interpret the data visualisations
This document outlines how to interpret the data correctly and explains the limitations of the data prior to using the Atlas:
2021
Publication, report or update