National Inpatient Medication Chart (NIMC)

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Background

In July 2003, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (formerly the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care) established a National Medication Chart Working Group to provide leadership and direction to reduce patient harm resulting from medication error. The introduction of a common medication chart was considered a significant quality improvement strategy aimed at reducing patient harm resulting from errors in the medication documentation processes. Quality and safety improvements were proposed through standardising processes of communication, optimising workflow patterns and introducing functions to improve the safe, effective and efficient use of medicines.

In April 2004, Australia's Health Ministers agreed that in order to reduce harm to patients from medication errors, all public hospitals would be using a common medication chart by June 2006. This meant that the same chart would be used wherever a doctor or nurse works and wherever a patient was within a public hospital.