THE Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) has opened a formal consultation period on the new draft accreditation standards which will apply to the education programs that will give pharmacists credentials to work in aged care and conduct medication management reviews (PD 03 Apr).
Public feedback is sought by Wed 10 May, either through the previously announced Stakeholder Forum taking place next week, or via an online survey or written submissions.
APC CEO Bronwyn Clark said the standards were being created for the benefit of some of the most vulnerable people in the Australian community.
"We must put older Australians, their needs, and their safety at the very centre of the development process," she said.
"They are a group of people that deserve protection."
"We're keeping what's worked well in the past, and introducing improvements in other areas," Clark highlighted, adding that "in doing so we aim to create standards that result in quality healthcare for people and support for families and carers."
The draft standards note that registered pharmacists enrolling in programs will have a variety of levels of experience, competency and training, urging that "clear and transparent information and processes for recognition of prior learning should be made available to learners".
Core competencies expected of registered pharmacists include interprofessional collaboration and communication, with providers told they should consider including interprofessional learning (IPL) in the context of the training program.
"For example, IPL in a residential aged care home should include an understanding of the roles of personal care workers and other non-health care staff and how to work together to improve outcomes for consumers," the draft accreditation standards state.
The draft standards, consultation paper and feedback survey are all online at pharmacycouncil.org.au.
The APC noted it had already seen high interest in the Stakeholder Consultation Forum which is scheduled for next Wed 26 Apr at a venue near Adelaide Airport.
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