AMA: Not so happy
March 20, 2014
Australian Medical
Association (AMA) president Dr
Steve Hambleton has said the
health system works best when
providers stick to the jobs they are
trained for.
Speaking at the International
Primary Health Care Reform
Conference, Hambleton said Health
Minister Dutton was reviewing
many proposals, including some
the AMA was “not so happy about”,
such as the policy proposal from
the Pharmacy Guild suggesting
pharmacists provide health checks
for $50.
“Some governments are trialling
vaccination by pharmacists.
“Some governments allow
vaccination by nurse practitioners
in pharmacies.”
Later, Hambleton said the health
system worked best and was
most efficient when all health
providers stuck to doing what they
did best, “the jobs they trained
for, coordinated by GPs to avoid
fragmentation of health care, which
would ultimately cost the health
system more.”
Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia (PSA) national president
Grant Kardachi said the comments
added to some of the negative
rhetoric about pharmacists
vaccinating.
The PSA-Guild immunisation pilot
(PD 14 Jan) had sparked interest
and the reaction to the pilot had
been very positive in a number of
quarters including the government
and consumers, with the trial
seen as a good way to lift the
immunisation rate, he said.
“The criticisms of pharmacies
not being appropriate venues to
deliver vaccinations show a lack
of understanding of the protocols
and training in place for pharmacist
-delivered vaccinations.”
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