Guild attacks Forum stance
November 28, 2011
THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia
has gone on the attack against the
Consumer Health Forum’s (CHF)
calls for a Senate Inquiry into the
Fifth Community Pharmacy
Agreement, saying the CHF is
“mixed up” on its 5CPA stance.
The comments are in reaction to
a review of a 5CPA analysis by the
CHF in May last year, which
welcomed the Agreement saying
“for the first time in the history of
Community Pharmacy Agreements,
the views of consumers were
specifically sought, and some of
their concerns appear to have been
taken into account in the final
version of the Agreement”.
According to the analysis the
“CHF received funding from the
Australian Government
Department of Health and Ageing
(the Department) to inform the
Government about consumer views
on the content and implementation
of the Fifth CPA.
“CHF’s consultation process
involved initial informal
consultations, two focused
teleconferences, a national
consultative workshop and a
discussion paper on the
implementation of the Fifth CPA.
“On the whole, CHF is pleased
with the final version of the Fifth
CPA,” the CHF analysis said.
In light of the analysis the Guild
called the CHF’s call for a Senate
Inquiry into the 5CPA
“bewildering”.
“Last week a statement issued by
the forum said: ‘The secrecy
surrounding this deal is a real
concern’,” the Guild said.
“It is frankly bewildering that the
CHF would now describe the
Agreement as a ‘secret deal’,” the
Guild added.
As such, the Guild is now calling
on the CHF to withdraw its attacks
on the Agreement, or to explain
“how it got it so wrong in May
2010”.
“The Fifth Community Pharmacy
Agreement delivers quality
pharmacy services to all Australian
consumers, and underpins the
viability of our highly regarded
community pharmacy network,”
the Guild said.
“The results in the first 17 months
of the Fifth Agreement regarding
services and programs roll-out have
been outstanding,” the Guild
added.
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