AMA slams health check deal
September 4, 2014
AUSTRALIAN Medical
Association (AMA) president,
Associate Professor Brian Owler
has said the Government must rule
out dealing with the Guild to fund
pharmacist provision of medical
health checks such as blood
pressure and cholesterol checks.
Owler said the Pharmacy Guild
was using primary health care as a
“bargaining chip” to secure the best
deal for pharmacists, not patients,
under the new Community
Pharmacy Agreement.
The comments came in response
to the AFR report of the Guild’s
multimillion dollar advertising
campaign promoting pharmacists’
expanded roles (PD 20 Aug).
In its pre-budget submission,
the Guild suggested government
sponsored clinical roles for
pharmacists, including prevention
and wellness checks (PD 10 Feb).
A leaked document suggested a
price for 30 minute health checks of
$50, the Australian had reported.
Other health practitioner groups
had to apply to the Medical
Services Advisory Committee
(MSAC) and analysis was needed
about whether this funding would
add costs to the system, since
pharmacists would have to refer
patients on if a clinical condition
was established, Owler said.
A spokesman for the Guild
has said that there was an
overwhelming case for more and
better use to be made of the
infrastructure and expertise in
Australia’s 5,400 pharmacies.
“No amount of tunnel visioned
turf protection by the AMA should
prevent Australian health care
consumers benefiting from a
safe and sensible expansion of
pharmacist services.”
MEANWHILE both the
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
(PSA) and the Consumers Health
Forum (CHF) have called for more
discussion around the subject.
CHF ceo Adam Stankevicius said
further discussion and analysis
of the proposal was needed
and the MSAC process was the
appropriate place for consideration
of funding, not the “secretive
Community Pharmacy Agreement
negotiations.”
CHF supported the view that
appropriately trained health
professionals such as pharmacists
should be able to provide basic
primary and preventative health
services, he said.
PSA acting national president
Joe Demarte said a “serious and
objective” discussion was needed.
Pharmacists skill were not being
utilised while GPs were under great
strain, he said.
Demarte said it was simplistic
to dismiss the suggestion that
pharmacists play a greater role in
the system as a “turf war” and that
pharmacists did not want to take
over doctors’ roles.
“What we need is mature and
evidence-informed discussion
about maximising the potential of
pharmacists to work with doctors
and other health practitioners
to meet consumer health needs,
relieve the strains on the health
budget and improve the health
outcomes of consumers.”
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