Concierge pharmacy
August 7, 2014
THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia
has said the time is right for
a pharmacy-led, personalised
medication concierge service for
older Australians - and it is working
on a business model for this.
Writing in forefront, Guild
executive director David Quilty said
to bridge the price disclosure gap,
the pharmacy sector needed to
innovate and build on its medicine
expertise to meet the needs of an
ageing population, which should be
able to live independently as long
as possible; a medication concierge
service would increase medicine
adherence rates and decrease the
risk of unnecessary hospitalisations.
A community pharmacy would
take responsibility for an elderly
patient’s medicine requirements
including dose administration aids,
home deliveries and the taking
and monitoring of vital signs, as
well as liaising with GPs, carers and
relatives, he said.
This could be paid for by the
patient or family directly or through
health insurance and for patients
who could not afford it, the service
could be provided on a subsidised
basis as part of a home-based aged
care support package, Quilty said.
Speaking with PD, Quilty said the
Guild was working on a business
model for this service which the
sector could expect to see in the
coming months.
However there was nothing
stopping pharmacies or banner
groups from taking up this
opportunity themselves, he said.
The service would not necessarily
involve a large amount of additional
resources or time but could involve
employment of additional staff,
Quilty said.
The Guild was working with state
and Federal governments, including
on reform of the Consumer
Directed Home Care Packages to
include medicine management and
adherence as important services
which should be subsidised as part
of the Package, Quilty said.
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