Guild: innovate for 2014
January 16, 2014
Pharmacy Guild of Australia
(PGA) executive director David
Quilty said the coming year must be
one of consolidation and innovation
for community pharmacies to
withstand cost pressures and
revenue reductions due to the price
disclosure scheme.
Pharmacy Daily has asked
peak industry body leaders their
expectations for the coming year.
In this PART I of three responses,
Quilty said that while the Guild
supported price disclosure as
a public policy measure, it was
reaping bigger than expected
savings for taxpayers which had
a damaging impact on pharmacy
bottom lines.
“These pressures will only get
worse in 2014 because of the
acceleration of price disclosure
announced by the former
Government in August and enacted
by the Coalition Government late
last year.
The Guild will continue to
urge the Government to adjust
pharmacy remuneration to lighten
the impact of the price disclosure
acceleration.”
Quilty said Australian community
pharmacies were proving their
value every day through their roles
as health care hubs.
The Guild was a strong advocate
for expanding professional
pharmacy services.
“So we look for to 2014 being a
year in which value can be added
to the work of pharmacies, in a way
which will be mutually beneficial
for patients and for the 60,000
people working in pharmacy.”
New models would be feasible
only if pharmacies were properly
remunerated the core role of
dispensing medicine responsibly.
Quilty said pharmacies needed to
adapt to tough economic times by
driving efficiencies and broadening
practices.
“In a nutshell, the challenge for
pharmacies in 2014 is to broaden
their scope of services, while
maintaining quality, and ensuring
financial viability.”
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 16 Jan 14To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 16 Jan 14
