IMPLEMENTING self-care policies such as pharmacy-based minor ailments services is a cost-effective way to reduce the load on hospital emergency departments, according to a presentation yesterday at the World Self Medication Industry General Assembly in Sydney.
Well known Australian pharmacist Charlie Benrimoj, head of the UTS Graduate School of Health, gave an overview of minor ailment schemes from across the globe and how they could work here.
Under the programs the pharmacist is the first port of call for common minor ailments, and acts in accordance with structured local and national guidelines.
The schemes, which have launched in the United Kingdom and Canada, see pharmacists supply certain non-prescription medicines from a defined formulary and offer advice or treatment as required.
In the UK there are 36 conditions covered by the program, with 98% of minor ailment scheme users requiring no onward referral.
There are systems in place to notify local GP practices about consultations which have taken place in the pharmacy, with the pharmacy remunerated either through a one-off annual fee or a fee per capitation, Benrimoj said.
He described how such a service could be implemented in Australia, with a range of defined treatment pathways providing a definitive course of management and referral based on evidence-based practice.
A generic non-prescription medicine formulary would cover each ailment, with the scheme also featuring collaboration with other health professionals and formal training for pharmacists and GPs including strategies to support and improve consumer self-care.
MEANWHILE Australian Self-Medication Industry ceo Deon Schoombie also addressed the congress, challenging regulators and industry on the need for change in an environment where "we still experience a tendency towards over-emphasis on risk and risk-aversion management".
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