HEALTH professionals have marked International Day Against LGBTQIA Discrimination (IDAHOBIT) last Sat with a call to better serve the health care needs of LGBTQIA people.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) acknowledged that LGBTQIA people have poorer physical and mental health outcomes than the general population, with research finding that more than half of the community have experienced discrimination due to their sexual orientation, and almost 80% of people who are trans or gender diverse had experienced discrimination due to their gender identity.
The PSA's 2024 consumer insights project found that LGBTQIA patients often do not feel seen, recognised or safe when accessing health care, and PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim called for pharmacists to "do better".
"To do better is to take deliberate action to address the barriers that lead to inequality in care so that no one feels unsafe accessing care," A/Prof Sim said.
"As pharmacists, we pride ourselves on being the most accessible health care professionals, but true accessibility goes beyond location or background - it must also mean creating and maintaining safe environments for both our patients and our colleagues."
A/Prof Sim noted IDAHOBIT - which marks the anniversary of the World Health Organization removing homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases on 17 May 1990 - was a reminder that there is more that can be done as individuals, teams, and as a profession to create spaces where LGBTQIA patients and colleagues are seen, safe, and respected.
"Healthcare is a fundamental right for all," she said.
PSA's vision for the profession, 'Pharmacists in 2030', identifies a series of key systems changes needed to support pharmacists help address systemic health disparities in vulnerable and priority population groups.
This includes incentivising in-depth consultations with people from priority populations to drive individualised service and empowering pharmacists with the knowledge to provide culturally appropriate care to priority groups.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) also spoke out on the need to boost health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA people, and reminded governments of the importance of putting the National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTQIA people (PD 16 Dec 2024) into action. KB
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 May 25
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 19 May 25
