Multidisciplinary Ambulatory Consulting Service (MACS) - CALHN outpatient services

The MACS clinic provides outpatient services to patients living in the Central Adelaide Local Area Health Network (CALHN). MACS is a multidisciplinary service consisting of physicians specialising in medication management, nursing, pharmacists, and a psychologist supporting patients who are at risk of being hospitalised from their chronic conditions, including, but not limited to, patients with polypharmacy and multiple chronic conditions..

The service combines evidence based clinical guidelines, patient centred practice and a shared care approach with general practitioners to enable patients to optimise their health and wellbeing and reduce hospital admissions.

Criteria for referral

Patients that have one or more of the following:

  • medication optimisation and or review of medication related complications
  • require medical management due to multimorbidity
  • would benefit from holistic care management with multidisciplinary input
  • coordination of care, as they see multiple medical specialists and would benefit from case management.
  • further health education and support for effective self-management.

Some examples of the type of patients we see, include:

  • frequent acute exacerbations of chronic conditions, that potentially results in emergency
  • presentations and /or hospital admissions
  • patients with complications related to polypharmacy
  • young adults transitioning from paediatric chronic care management to the adult system.
  • When treatment of one condition affects the treatment of another

For patients in residential care facilities please contact our team directly to discuss the most suitable follow-up options which may include discussion with other services.

Referral process

  • Clinic fax (for referrals): (08) 84296070
  • Named referrals are accepted. Please state the reason for referral.
  • Comprehensive referrals including medications and a problem list assist with triaging
  • Triage categories include:
    • Immediate appointment (please call if the referral is urgent)
    • Category 1 (<4 weeks)
    • Category 2 (1-3 months)
    • Category 3 (>3 months)

Bulk bill clinics: (named referral / or colleague required) eg Dr Rami Tadros or colleague

  • Dr Sepehr Shakib
  • Dr Rami Tadros
  • Dr Josephine Thomas
  • Dr Tam Le Cong
  • Endocrinologist (please phone the clinic number for the Dr ‘s name)
  • Cardiologist (please phone the clinic number for the Dr ‘s name)

Referral forms

General information

  • If the patient, or their general practitioner, is concerned about deterioration in the medical condition, and assessment is required earlier than planned, a phone call to the MACS Nursing staff on 0434 362 390 or to RAH Clinical Pharmacology Department on (08) 7074 2701 will allow this to be discussed with one of the team members.

Post discharge guidelines

  • Patients will be discharged once their medical conditions have stabilized. If re-assessment is required, a new referral, preferably a named referral (see consultant list), should be faxed to the the clinic fax (08) 8429 6070.

Appointment location – Outpatients

Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) — Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons

  • RAH Level 5 East Outpatients
    1 Port Road, Adelaide SA 5000
    Please view the Outpatient map (go to level 5 map)

Sefton Park Primary Health Care Services — Tuesday all day

  • 221 Main North Road Sefton Park 5083

Contact details

Appointments

  • Appointment enquiries: (08) 7074 2701

  • Review / change of appointments: (08) 7074 2701 

Department location

  • Clinical Pharmacology Department/ MACS Team
    Level 8, RAH, 1 Port Road, Adelaide SA 5000
    Telephone: (08) 7074 2701 
    Fax: (08) 8429 6070

Multidisciplinary team members

Medical staff

  • Dr Nicholas Farinola (Clinical Pharmacologist, General Physician)
  • Professor Sepehr Shakib (Clinical Pharmacologist, General Physician)
  • Associate Professor Josephine Thomas (General Physician)
  • Dr Rami Tadros (Clinical Pharmacologist, General Physician)
  • Dr Tam Le Cong (General Physician)
  • Dr Alice O’Connell (General Physician)
  • Dr Angela Molga (Clinical Pharmacologist, Geriatrician)
  • (Endocrinologist)
  • (Cardiologist)
  • (Clinical Pharmacology Registrar)
  • (General Medical Registrars)

Case coordinators

  • Allyson Rappensberg (Chronic Disease Nurse Consultant)
  • Georgina Walker (Chronic Disease Clinical Nurse)

Allied Health

  • Marie Dow (Psychologist)

Pharmacists

  • Natalie Soulsby (RAH and HMR’s)
  • Lynette Kirkwood (Sefton Park)

Administration

  • Todorka Grammatopoulous

Patient information

Please view the patient information sheets below for more information: