18 January 2015
Media release
Pharmacy can help deliver better health outcomes and a more sustainable Medicare
Any solutions to ensure the future sustainability of Medicare must fully utilise Australia’s 5,450 strong community pharmacy network to deliver better and more cost-effective health outcomes.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia will use Minister Sussan Ley’s commitment to consultation on a more sustainable Medicare to advocate vigorously for an array of enhanced pharmacy services that will make the health system more affordable and more accessible for all Australians.
The Pharmacy Guild’s National President, George Tambassis, said that the objective of the Coalition Government’s Medicare reform agenda should be to ensure the best health outcomes for patients, delivered with maximum efficiency for taxpayers.
“Australia’s community pharmacy network is the nation’s most accessible health infrastructure, highly trusted by the public and staffed by true health professionals.
“Around the world, governments, hospitals, health insurers and health professionals, including GPs, are increasingly recognising that better utilising pharmacies takes pressure off the wider health system and provides faster, better and cheaper access to treatments and advice for patients.
“Already in Australia, community pharmacies have proven their ability in areas such as enhanced medication support, diabetes services, asthma management and blood pressure monitoring.
“The outstanding success of the recent flu vaccination pilot in Qld is the latest example of how pharmacies can deliver high quality and more convenient and cost-effective services to patients.
“However, Australia is lagging many other countries in terms of making the most effective use of its highly accessible physical pharmacy network and the skills of its pharmacist profession, working in close collaboration with doctors and other health professionals.
“The Government’s Medicare reforms, combined with the upcoming new community pharmacy agreement, aged care reforms, primary health networks and potential changes to the private health insurance rebate provide the right climate to transform pharmacies into true health destinations.”
Mr Tambassis said the Pharmacy Guild would be pursuing a range of service enhancements that would deliver better outcomes for patients and greater efficiency in the health system, including:
· Enhancing access to prescription repeats for stable, long term conditions
· Extending the treatment of minor ailments to community pharmacies
· Improving access to vaccinations
· Post hospital and transitional care medicine reconciliation support
· Basic health checks, screening and preventative health services
· Mental health support
“The Guild’s focus will be on those service areas where there are gaps in the health system and issues of ready access for patients, including in regional, rural and remote areas where these problems are usually more pronounced,” said Mr Tambassis.
“In most cases, opportunities to deliver these services more cost-effectively, including through the better use of technologies, have not been taken up, leading to increased costs for governments and patients – costs that can be reduced significantly by better utilising pharmacies and pharmacists.
“Pharmacy and pharmacists have the proven capability and stand ready to deliver this common sense approach, taking the pressure off doctors, hospital emergency departments and the wider health system,” Mr Tambassis said.
See attached examples of what pharmacies can do to deliver better and more cost effective health outcomes. For more information, go to http://www.guild.org.au/issues-resources/healthyfuture
Media inquiries: David Quilty – Executive Director – 0400 683 368
Examples where pharmacies can deliver better and more cost-effective health outcomes for patients and taxpayers, including in regional, rural and remote Australia
Enhancing access to repeat prescriptions for stable, long term conditions
At least four million GP visits a year involve issuing a prescription for a medicine a patient is already taking. As part of a collaborative arrangement with the GP and patient, pharmacists could provide repeat prescriptions for an agreed period of time to people with stable long term conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, and work with the GP to help patients manage these conditions. This arrangement would improve patient access to health care, reduce costs to patients and lead to a more effective use of GP’s time and expertise.
Extending the treatment of minor ailments to community pharmacies
Some 26 million GP consultations a year are for minor ailments. Pharmacists could dispense medicines for the treatment of a range of easily diagnosable minor ailments such as simple urinary tract infections, middle ear infections and minor skin irritations from a special formulary in consultation with the GP, without the need for the patient to visit the doctor for a prescription. This would provide more convenient and cheaper access to treatment for patients and enable GPs to focus their skills on patients with more serious health conditions.
Improving access to vaccinations
With the appropriate training, community pharmacists could administer flu and other vaccinations. This could be facilitated through the National Immunisation Program for at-risk patient groups and provided privately for the wider population. This would provide cheaper and easier access for many patients and reduce the MBS related costs of providing these services. It would also ensure that the pharmacy network is able to respond quickly in the event of a pandemic.
Post hospital and transitional care medicine reconciliation support
There are 230,000 medicine related hospital admissions annually at a cost of $1.2 billion. While it is a well-known fact that patients are most at risk of medicine misadventure immediately after they leave hospital, there is no systematic approach to medicines reconciliation in Australia in either the public or the private hospital systems. Addressing this serious health gap would help reduce unnecessary hospital re-admissions and other health costs, including managing medicine addiction.
Basic health checks, screening and preventative health services
The mortality rate of cardiovascular disease could be reduced by two-thirds by addressing lifestyle issues while smoking remains the nation’s highest preventable health cost. As the most accessible health destination, pharmacies can undertake basic health checks and risk assessments as well as provide lifestyle counselling and support, and referrals. Additionally, pharmacies can provide access to initial screening for a range of diseases such as bowel cancer. This increased role in preventative health and early intervention will help identify at-risk patients earlier and, with the necessary follow-up, have the potential to reduce the prevalence of expensive, chronic health conditions.
Mental health support
One-in-five adult Australians report suffering from a mental illness in the last 12 months with the overall cost of mental health estimated to be $28.6 billion a year. Community pharmacies are well placed to participate in the early intervention, support, referral and continuity of care of people with mental illness. With appropriate qualifications and training, pharmacists can provide the tools and connections to other services like Lifeline and Beyond Blue. They can also work with patients to increase medicine compliance, coordinate treatment and reduce diversion rates.
National Secretariat
Level 2, 15 National Circuit, Barton, ACT 2600 Australia
PO Box 7036, Canberra Business Centre, ACT 2610 Australia
Telephone: + 61 2 6270 1888 · Facsimile: + 61 2 6270 1800
Email: · Internet: www.guild.org.au