Review opens discussion
July 28, 2016
HEALTH minister Sussan Ley has
urged the “entire pharmaceutical
supply chain - including consumers”
to provide input to the Review
of Pharmacy Remuneration and
Regulation, which has now released
its highly anticipated discussion
paper (PD breaking news).
Ley said the government was
committed to an integrated
health system that ensures strong
coordination across the healthcare
team, with the review aiming
to ensure the next Community
Pharmacy Agreement continues to
meet the future needs of Australia.
The review, which is now inviting
public submissions on the 140
questions posed in the paper, will
also see a national program of
consultations next month, as well
as online surveys targeting both
pharmacists and consumers.
Stakeholders from across the
sector have responded to the
review, with a summary of initial
feedback below:
The Pharmacy Guild said its
strongly held view was that the
existing community pharmacy
model serves Australian health care
consumers and taxpayers well.
“In the coming months as the
Review continues its work, the
Guild’s approach will be to take
every opportunity to demonstrate
to the panel the benefits of the
existing community pharmacy
model, including through the use
of economic analysis, international
pharmacy model comparisons, and
consumer attitudes and satisfaction
levels with pharmacy.”
The Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia said the Review was
an “opportunity to improve the
future,” noting the discussion paper
includes many comments made by
the PSA in its briefing to the panel.
Examples include the potential for
payment for professional services
through the Medicare Benefits
Scheme, and the possibility of
payments linked to complexity.
PSA president Joe Demarte said
“PSA is committed to a strategic,
practical plan to meet the future
needs of consumers and improve
remuneration for pharmacists by
engaging in this review process”.
Wholesalers also weighed in,
with the National Pharmaceutical
Services Association saying the
paper has raised all of the key
issues, with plans to work with
the process “to ensure Australia
has a viable and sustainable
pharmaceutical wholesaling sector
into the future”.
And the Consumers Health Forum
hailed the discussion paper’s
focus on consumer health - also
highlighting the “central issue”
of whether the $20b CPA should
“remain the preserve alone” of the
government and the Guild.
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