Chemo threats to hospitals
November 22, 2012
THE Society of Hospital
Pharmacists of Australia is calling
on the Government to ensure that
after 01 December all cancer
patients have continued safe access
to their life-saving chemotherapy,
at no additional cost, at an
accessible location, particularly in
rural and regional areas.
The calls come in the lead up to
changes to remuneration for
preparing and dispensing
chemotherapy which take effect
from 01 Dec, and may see private
hospitals choose not to administer
chemo medicines such as paclitaxel,
docetaxel, gemcitabine and
oxaliplatin; used to treat breast,
lung, prostate and colon cancers.
“The cumulative effect of changes
to remuneration for preparing and
dispensing chemotherapy is
threatening the viability of private
hospital pharmacy services that
provide 60% of chemotherapy to
cancer patients,” SHPA said in a
statement.
“Over time some chemotherapy
pharmacy services will no longer be
financially viable, thus jeopardising
the supply of all chemotherapy
through affected hospitals, and
resulting in restrictions or even
closures of their oncology service,”
the statement added.
Backing up its argument, SHPA
said that the changes pose a “great
threat” to the public hospital
system, which may be flooded with
patients exiting the private system
to continue their chemotherapy.
“Public hospitals, limited by
infrastructure, personnel and
capacity of their oncology and
chemotherapy services, would be
unable to accommodate this
demand,” SHPA said.
In terms of hospital pharmacies,
SHPA said that the changes would
lead to “significant budgetory
stress”.
“Viable chemotherapy and
clinical pharmacy support services
should be available from both
public and private health services,”
SHPA said.
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