AMA team approach call
July 22, 2015
the Australian Medical
Association (AMA) is taking the
opportunity of ‘Family Doctor
Week’ to renew its call to the
government to support its
proposal to enhance patient care
by integrating non-dispensing
pharmacists into GP-led primary
health care teams (PD 28 May).
With non-dispensing pharmacists
on the patient care team, the
proposed Pharmacist in General
Practice Incentive Program (PGPIP)
would deliver greater efficiencies
for practices, better care for
patients, new career opportunities
for pharmacists, and significant
Budget savings across the whole
health system, said AMA president
Professor Brian Owler.
“This is a great opportunity for
the Federal Government to realise its quest for savings and value
without harming the health sector
or compromising patient care.
“Under the AMA plan,
pharmacists within general
practice can assist with things
such as medication management,
providing patient education on
their medications, and supporting
GP prescribing with advice on
medication interactions and newly
available medications,” he said.
An analysis by Deloitte Access
Economics showed that the PGPIP
could return $1.56 in savings for
every dollar invested in it.
Developed with and fully backed
by the Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia, the study showed that if
3,100 general practices participated
significant savings would accrue
- including $1.27b due to fewer
hospital admissions related to the
use of medications, $180.6m in PBS
savings from more accurate use
of drugs and better compliance,
$49.8m patient savings through
reduced co-payments plus $18.1m
in MBS savings from fewer GP visits
due to adverse drug reactions.
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