THE Pharmacy Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) have published the health profession agreement (HPA) for 2016-20, defining the relationship between the two bodies and the services AHPRA will provide in supporting the Board to carry out its functions for the next five years.
The Board and AHPRA work together to implement the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, which regulates registered health practitioners in Australia, in the public interest.
AHPRA ceo Martin Fletcher said that the National Boards and AHPRA are committed to working together to ensure not only transparency and accountability in financial reporting, but also in the role both play in protecting the public through the regulation of the professions under the National Law.
"The guiding principles of the National Law require the National Scheme to operate in a 'transparent, accountable, efficient, effective and fair way'," Fletcher explained.
"So it's important that the professions and the community know how AHPRA and the Boards work in partnership to regulate the professions in the public interest and facilitate access to safer healthcare."
Pharmacy Board Chair William Kelly said, "By publishing the HPA, it demonstrates the Board's and AHPRA's commitment to transparency and accountability in implementing the National Scheme".
The agreement details the interim annual budget for the Board which is expecting total income of $9.2 million this year - including $7.7m from pharmacist registration fees - along with expenses of $11.2 million, leading to an overall $2 million net deficit.
AHPRA costs include the one-off implementation of a "major information systems replacement program" - access the agreement at pharmacyboard.gov.au.
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