Forrest to spark fresh debate
November 30, 2010
THE newly elected president of
the Australian Self Medication
Industry (ASMI) has promised to
advance debate around healthcare
and health products within the
industry, as well as within the
community at large.
Lindsay Forrest from Reckitt
Benckiser was named as ASMI
President last week (PD 25 Nov),
and also committed ASMI under his
leadership to improving the health
literacy of all Australians.
“We will continue to mount a
case for appropriate self care, so
that there is increasing awareness
of the opportunity for individuals to
take greater personal responsibility
for their health, and a new
understanding of the innovative
solutions to make the best use of
healthcare resources,” he said.
“One such opportunity is to
expand the role of pharmacists in
the treatment of many minor
ailments as a way of alleviating the
burden on overstretched GPs.”
Speaking about the role of
pharmacists in healthcare, Forrest
said that the pharmacy sector
“represents a vital link between the
industry and the public”, adding
that he was eager to build on the
existing relationship that ASMI has
with professional pharmacy bodies.
“Some parts of the GP network
have voiced their concern at ASMI’s
recent work which identified the
opportunity for some minor
ailments to be treated at a local
pharmacy as a means of reducing
the burden on GPs,” he said.
“We strongly believe there is
evidence to demonstrate that this
can benefit Australia, and we want
to work cooperatively with the
professional associations to explore
what, I am sure, can be a better
outcome for all parties,” he added.
He also said that there needs to
be “some fresh thinking about the
implications of regulatory decisions
which cause inconvenience to
thousands of responsible consumers
because of a tiny minority who
grossly misuse medicines”.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 30 Nov 10To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 30 Nov 10
