PAM Price, Interim Executive Director of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, has hailed the "high level of bipartisan political support for community pharmacies" expressed during this month's APP2019 conference on the Gold Coast.
Writing in the Guild's fortnightly Forefront update yesterday, Price said it was "no easy feat" to have the Health Minister, the Shadow Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister at a conference, adding she was particularly proud that international visitors were on hand to witness pharmacy's backing.
She highlighted the letter of commitment to community pharmacy released by Shadow Minister for Health and Medicare, Catherine King, which reiterated Labor's support for the existing pharmacy model and "commits an incoming Labor Government to early and inclusive negotiation of the next Community Pharmacy Agreement" (PD 07 Mar).
Price noted that "as per normal practice" the Guild expected it would receive letters of support for pharmacy from the other major parties ahead of the election.
She also hailed statements by Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, who expressed his strong support for community pharmacies in rural and regional parts of Australia.
"The Pharmacy Guild welcomes these expressions of support for community pharmacy," Price said.
"We are about maximising the benefits to the health system and to patients provided through the network of community pharmacies, and we are very pleased to have dialogue with all sides of politics to address issues and make a good system even better."
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