Expand pharmacy – CHF
August 4, 2015
A survey conducted by the
Consumers Health Forum has found
strong support from the Australian
community for an expanded role
for pharmacists.
The survey was launched earlier
this year (PD 02 Jun) in the wake
of the Federal budget allocation
of up to $600 million to “trial and
potentially expand the role of
pharmacists”.
Nearly three quarters of the
500 or so respondents to the
poll supported the concept of
pharmacists providing expanded
services, either co-located with
doctors or at local pharmacies.
CHF ceo Leanne Wells said the
survey showed that most people
wanted to see their pharmacists
have a greater role in performing
basic support services such as
immunisations and blood pressure
checks and working with GPs to
help chronically ill patients better
manage their medication.
“The major implication of
these results is that defenders of
traditional ‘silos’ of medicine need
to rethink the traditional roles for
GPs and pharmacists,” Wells said.
However despite wanting to
see pharmacy’s role expanded,
respondents also said they didn’t
want to see an erosion of the role
of the general practitioner.
74.2% of those who participated
in the poll wanted to see a
pharmacist co-located with the GP,
compared to 69.6% who supported
local community pharmacists
providing increased services.
However some respondents
also expressed concerns about
having their GP “out of the loop”
and were worried about the
safety and quality of pharmacy
services, the level of privacy in the
pharmacy, and the confidentiality
of information.
“We believe both models of
expanded care by pharmacists
should be explored,” Wells said.
CLICK HERE for the survey report.
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