Pharmacy Daily | 7CPA planning ‘inclusive’

Ongoing support of the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement will be followed by “early and inclusive negotiations towards the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement” should a Labor government be installed after 02 July, Labor leader Bill Shorten has said in a somewhat belated letter to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. During each Federal Election campaign, the Guild invites all political parties to submit letters of support for community pharmacy for distribution to Guild members for their consideration. First off the blocks was Malcolm Turnbull with his commitment “to supporting hardworking pharmacies through much needed measures to support small business” (PD 07 Jul). Xenophon and the Greens followed (PD 09 Jul) with protestations about pharmacies being an “unfair target for government savings” and a strong focus on positive health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Australians. Shorten’s letter said it is vital that funding directed to pharmacy trial programs and professional pharmacy services in 6CPA is mobilised as soon as possible to ensure patients get the intended benefit from this funding. He also promised to improve the Remote Area Aboriginal Health Services (RAAHS) Program to remunerate pharmacies dispensing Section100 RAAHS medicines. Further he added that there needs to be a “strong focus on primary health care and preventive health measures” with community pharmacy an “important part of this” and the health system growing “more co-ordinated and co-operative”.

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