AUSTRALIAN Healthcare Associates (AHA) has retained the contract for administration of the Community Service Obligation (CSO) Funding Pool, and will continue to manage the CSO through until Jun 2024.
The re-appointment follows an open tender process, and continues AHA's longstanding association with the CSO process which it has overseen since its establishment in Jul 2006 under the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement between the Australian Government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
AHA has also retained the contract through the Fifth, Sixth and now Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreements (CPAs).
The CSO funding pool currently provides just under $1.1 billion over the term of the Seventh CPA to eligible pharmaceutical wholesalers (CSO Distributors) that meet specific service standards for the delivery of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines to community pharmacies, as well as National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) products to community pharmacies and other NDSS access points.
"The purpose of the CSO funding pool is to ensure that all Australians have ongoing and timely access to the full range of PBS medicines and NDSS products, regardless of where they live," AHA said.
Administration of the CSO pool involves undertaking payment calculations, monitoring the performance of CSO distributors to ensure compliance with specific service standards, and administering a complaints process for community pharmacies and other access points, along with a sanctions framework.
AHA Director Richard Stock (pictured) said the company "looks forward to continuing to ensure the aims of the program are successfully met, by working objectively and independently to efficiently administer the CSO funding pool".
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 05 Jul 21
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