Scope inquiry to look at reg
June 13, 2014
THE Victorian Legislative Council
has moved that the Legal and
Social Issues Legislation Committee
inquire and report on the role
and opportunities for community
pharmacy in primary and
preventative care in Victoria.
The Victorian Minister for Health
David Davis tabled the motion at
the end of May and said there was
an opportunity for community
pharmacists to play a wider role.
“In a sense, this process would
seek to see if through the
registration arrangements there
is any impediment to, or other
restriction on, pharmacists doing
more safely or trialling different
approaches and different scopes in
a safe way that would be consistent
with their registration requirements
and rules.”
Davis said pharmacists could
provide more personalised
medication management services
for older Victorians at risk of
hospital admission, vaccination
and provide advice and referrals
to ease pressure on hospitals and
emergency departments.
The opposition said while it
did not oppose the motion, it
was “hastily cobbled” together,
designed to keep the committee
busy until the election was called.
Pharmacy Board of Australia chair
and Victorian Pharmacy Authority
registrar Stephen Marty said the
Authority had received the inquiry
notice and both it and the Board
would make submissions.
He said should recommendations
for changes be made by the inquiry,
there would need to be discussion
about how to apply these in a
nationally consistent manner so
that differences between states and
territories did not occur.
The Board might need to look
at whether new guidelines would
need to be developed, should such
changes be recommended, he said.
Both the Pharmacy Guild of
Australia and the Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia Victorian
branch presidents welcomed the
inquiry (PD 12 Jun).
To read the transcript, CLICK
HERE.
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