ADVANCED Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has welcomed yesterday's Federal Govt announcement of a $1.7 billion boost for hospitals and health services, and is calling for states and territories to direct a portion of the funding to bolster the hospital pharmacy workforce.
AdPha President Tom Simpson said that hospital pharmacists are critical to cutting waiting lists, reducing ED waiting times and managing ramping - the key aims of the funding boost - so it is essential they are included in the funding pool.
As an example, Simpson referred to surgical and perioperative pharmacists playing a crucial role in ensuring safer transitions of care while improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of medicine use.
"By conducting accurate medication histories and reconciliations, they help reduce medicine wastage, limit medication errors, and prevent avoidable adverse events - ultimately making surgery safer and more efficient.
"Emergency pharmacists are equally vital in improving patient flow, facilitating faster admissions to wards, and ensuring safer discharges back into the community," Simpson explained.
With hospital admissions increasing every year, the role of hospital pharmacists in supporting safer patient discharges and transitions of care becomes even more vital, Simpson said.
"Hospital pharmacists are the last healthcare professional a patient sees before leaving the hospital, and the hospital pharmacy is typically the final stop on their hospital journey."
Additional funding will help provide critical financial support for training programs, helping to address workforce shortages.
"Hospital pharmacists are an integral part of interdisciplinary healthcare teams, and continued financial support is essential to ensuring patients receive timely, high-quality care without unnecessary delays." KB
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