AGED care employers and staff need to recognise the signs of drug dependency, and regular training should cover the signs of drug abuse, the Department of Social Services has told providers.
The instructions came after the release of the NSW Coroners Court findings on the devastating Quaker's Hill fire in 2011.
Employers have also been urged to exercise due diligence in checking the employment histories of job applicants.
The instructions come as the NSW Government is winding up its inquiry into the role of registered nurses in aged care.
The Coroner's report warned that "not to conduct adequate background checks on new employees may constitute a serious failing on the part of a health service organisation to protect the public interest".
The department said the staff member who admitted to starting the fatal fire had concealed his employment history, and this had prevented the operator from contacting previous employers who could have raised concerns about drug abuse.
The aftermath of the Quaker's Hil fire in 2011
"Registered health practitioners and employers have a legal obligation to make a mandatory notification to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency if they have formed a reasonable belief that a registered health practitioner is practising their profession while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs," the DSS response said.
Impairment from drugs could arise from the use of illicit drugs, legally available drugs and substances such as alcohol that are not controlled.
Conduct requiring mandatory reporting includes practising while intoxicated, sexual misconduct, placing the public at risk of substantial harm due to an impairment and placing the public at risk due to a significant departure from accepted professional standards.
The DSS has also urged facilities to go beyond meeting the legislative requirements regarding medication management and take steps to mitigate the risks of drug theft.
The Coroner's report raised concerns over the Quaker's Hill facility's management for controlled drugs and said to allow any staff member to have sole access to the drugs at night "was very lax management practice."
The department has also urged facilities to conduct physical tests of evacuation plans after the Quaker's Hill fire response was complicated by physical issues, including the inability of beds to fit through some exit routes.