Guild gets governmental
August 18, 2010
THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia
has managed to extract election
promises for community pharmacy
from both the Liberal and Labor
camps.
Keeping its hat in the ring
throughout the election, the Guild
sought expressions of support for
the community pharmacy model
from the major political players,
and in turn has been rewarded with
support from both sides for the
maintenance of the Fifth
Community Pharmacy Agreement,
as well as ongoing support for the
expansion of the role of
pharmacists in the Australian
healthcare system.
“The Gillard Labor Government
recognises the important role that
community pharmacists play in the
provision of primary health care
through the delivery of the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
(PBS) medicines and related
services and supports the current
health care model of pharmacy,” a
letter to the Guild from the PM Julia
Gillard said.
“As part of this health reform, the
Gillard Labor Government is
committed to strengthening
Australia’s primary health care
system, and community pharmacy
is an essential element of this,”
Gillard added.
Liberal leader Tony Abbott also
wrote to the Guild and its
membership ranks saying it was his
belief that “professional pharmacy
is best practiced by Community
pharmacists in the current
pharmacy setting”, as opposed to
pharmacy premises within
supermarkets.
“My colleagues and I
acknowledge the valuable
contributions to the Australian
community made by your
profession....we have worked
effectively with you in the past and
we reconfirm our commitment to
help consolidate your role in the
health care system into the future,”
Abbott said.
“The trend in community
pharmacy practice to provide more
professional and cognitive services
to the patient is growing and the
Coalition has always supported the
expansion of the role of the
pharmacist in this way,” he added.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia
national president, Kos Sclavos,
expressed his delight with the
expressions of support, adding that
the Guild will “continue the
dialogue with the Government on
behalf of our members come what
may on Saturday 21 August”.
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