THE Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) welcomes the long-awaited support in NSW to enable 30 days medicines supply for people on discharge from hospital, as well as fund more speciality hospital pharmacy positions in emergency departments and introduce innovative models of patient care.
The NSW Government Response - Inquiry into the impact of ambulance ramping and access block on the operation of hospital emergency departments in New South Wales addressed hospital pharmacists' concerns in two of its recommendations, while SHPA stated it continues to urge investment in the workforce and capacity in NSW to realise the full benefit to medicines safety.
SHPA President Tom Simpson (pictured) says the "risks of NSW's current second-class status among Australian states, without a Pharmaceutical Reform Agreements (PRA) with the Commonwealth, are well-known".
"Instead of receiving a 30-day PBS supply of medicines when leaving hospital, patients in NSW and the ACT are given two to seven days' worth and expected to find a GP immediately as part of their recovery," Simpson explained.
"As the inquiry pointed out, hospital pharmacists providing more medication to patients on discharge 'improves patient wellbeing and reduces the risk of patients re-presenting to Emergency Departments if their medication runs out'.
"We commend the NSW Government for seeking to end decades of medicines access inequity by requesting PRA negotiations, and we call on the Federal Government to prioritise discussions to ensure patients in NSW have a safer transition from hospital to home or residential care, and to end the unnecessary waste of GP time when discharged patients urgently seek new scripts."
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