Pharmacy Daily | AMA slams health check deal

AUSTRALIAN Medical Association (AMA) president, Associate Professor Brian Owler has said the Government must rule out dealing with the Guild to fund pharmacist provision of medical health checks such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks. Owler said the Pharmacy Guild was using primary health care as a “bargaining chip” to secure the best deal for pharmacists, not patients, under the new Community Pharmacy Agreement. The comments came in response to the AFR report of the Guild’s multimillion dollar advertising campaign promoting pharmacists’ expanded roles (PD 20 Aug). In its pre-budget submission, the Guild suggested government sponsored clinical roles for pharmacists, including prevention and wellness checks (PD 10 Feb). A leaked document suggested a price for 30 minute health checks of $50, the Australian had reported. Other health practitioner groups had to apply to the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) and analysis was needed about whether this funding would add costs to the system, since pharmacists would have to refer patients on if a clinical condition was established, Owler said. A spokesman for the Guild has said that there was an overwhelming case for more and better use to be made of the infrastructure and expertise in Australia’s 5,400 pharmacies. “No amount of tunnel visioned turf protection by the AMA should prevent Australian health care consumers benefiting from a safe and sensible expansion of pharmacist services.” MEANWHILE both the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Consumers Health Forum (CHF) have called for more discussion around the subject. CHF ceo Adam Stankevicius said further discussion and analysis of the proposal was needed and the MSAC process was the appropriate place for consideration of funding, not the “secretive Community Pharmacy Agreement negotiations.” CHF supported the view that appropriately trained health professionals such as pharmacists should be able to provide basic primary and preventative health services, he said. PSA acting national president Joe Demarte said a “serious and objective” discussion was needed. Pharmacists skill were not being utilised while GPs were under great strain, he said. Demarte said it was simplistic to dismiss the suggestion that pharmacists play a greater role in the system as a “turf war” and that pharmacists did not want to take over doctors’ roles. “What we need is mature and evidence-informed discussion about maximising the potential of pharmacists to work with doctors and other health practitioners to meet consumer health needs, relieve the strains on the health budget and improve the health outcomes of consumers.” To read more, CLICK HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

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