ACCUSATIONS that some in the community pharmacy sector put money ahead of their patients' needs, are being staunchly rejected by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Responding to claims made by Australian Medical Association (AMA) Western Australian President, Dr Andrew Miller, that "big business interests" were pushing for pharmacists to "become GPs", Guild WA Branch President, Andrew Ngeow (pictured), compared Miller to gunslinging Looney Tunes character, Yosemite Sam.
Ngeow accused Miller of being disrespectful of pharmacists during an interview on ABC Breakfast (PD yesterday).
"Every day up to 140,000 West Australians visit and trust the advice and help they get from their community pharmacists. In towns with no GP. In places no other service exists. In metropolitan settings when getting in to your usual GP is difficult," he said.
"Instead of looking to work with other health professionals -- and respecting them - Dr Miller's approach is to denigrate and insult."
Ngeow was also critical of Miller's views of those running community pharmacies.
"Accusing community pharmacists of being motivated purely by commercial interests is pretty rich coming from a member of our overwhelmingly corporatised medical profession," he said.
"To listen to Miller, you'd think GPs in WA were like Buddhists monks -- ministering to the poor for food and alms.
"Fortunately, GPs and local community pharmacists continue to work together closely and collaboratively in the interests of patients, all over WA.
"Sensible GPs recognise the potential for pharmacists to make an even bigger contribution to the health system, just as pharmacists do in comparable countries all over the world.
"This year we've seen tens of thousands of West Australians receive the benefit of accessible affordable vaccination against influenza at their local pharmacy -- despite the opposition of the AMA, which has had to be dragged kicking and screaming into modern times.
"To Miller we say this: the 1990s phoned -- they want their arguments back. Get with the times, work collaboratively with community pharmacy, and put patients first."
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