THE Australian Medical Association says pharmacists' expertise and training are "underutilised in a commercial pharmacy environment," with a submission to the Review of Pharmacy Remuneration and Regulation saying it is "open to alternate models of funding that would encourage and reward a focus on professional, evidence-based interactions with patients".
The AMA submission particularly highlights the "inherent conflict of interest" in community pharmacy which involves "retail imperatives including the sale of complementary medicines that have no basis in evidence".
The Association revisited the joint AMA/PSA proposal (PD 23 Jul 2014) which called on the government to establish a funding program to support general practices to employ pharmacists, supported by a Deloitte Access Economics analysis.
The AMA also said it supports changes to location rules which would allow more pharmacies and medical practices to be co-located, saying the "current restrictions are inflexible and are difficult to justify in terms of public benefit".
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