PSA: Report backs shift
January 16, 2014
A REPORT commissioned by the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society in the
United Kingdom reinforces the need
for practice change, Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia (PSA) president
Grant Kardachi has said.
Published in November, the
report, Now or Never: Shaping
Pharmacy for the Future, said the
traditional model of community
pharmacy would be challenged due
to economic austerity, a crowded
market and changing technology.
“A broader role for pharmacists as
caregivers will be central to securing
the future of community pharmacy.”
Kardachi said shifting pharmacy
from supply to a greater focus on
the provision of a broader range of
services was a view echoed by the
PSA.
The report said pharmacists
had a role in helping the health
system make the shift from acute
to integrated care, and fulfilling the
need to do more for less.
Pharmacists increasingly provided
services that helped people stay well
and use their medicines effectively,
it said.
“However the pace of change
remains slow, and financial and
structural incentives are not
sufficiently aligned to support it.”
Kardachi said the reduced margins
from dispensing and other pressures
meant a change was needed.
“Pharmacists as caregivers” was
the way the industry needed to see
itself, and be seen by patients and
customers, he said.
Pharmacists had the skills and
knowledge to act as caregivers but
have been largely underutilised he
added.
“Part of the reason for this is the
lack of recognition of our abilities
but our own reluctance to move
from our comfort zone of dispensing
contributes to the problem.
“We need to build changes
into the way we do business – in
community pharmacy and in other
areas of practice – to ensure that
our practices change in line with
new services.”
To read the report, CLICK HERE
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
