AUSTRALIA needs pharmacists to work to their full scope of practice, Australian Labor Party (ALP) Shadow Health Minister, Chris Bowen, believes.
Speaking at the launch of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia's Our Medicine Safety: Aged Care report (PD yesterday) at Parliament House yesterday, Bowen praised the professionalism of pharmacists across the country.
"We saw that last flu season, when pharmacists administered over two million vaccines," he said.
"We saw it over the summer, I want to acknowledge that so many pharmacists were at the frontline of bushfire-affected communities in a way which wasn't sung through the media.
"Getting medicine for people who were cut off from their normal supplies.
"Thank you. That needs to be acknowledged and celebrated.
"We need to consider the role of pharmacists as we consider the role of emergency and disaster response going forward as well as to what can be done better next time.
"And also some interest topically about the role of pharmacists if we are to deal with a pandemic at any point in the near future as well.
"It needs to be considered, expanded and promoted.
"Labor agrees that pharmacists can work to their full scope of practice without fragmenting or duplicating care."
Bowen added that the ALP was keen to support pharmacists "where your interests align with those of patients".
"In the report you are launching today, you suggest one such area," he said.
"As a nation, we've been appalled by the evidence to the Aged Care Royal Commission.
"Many of us have seen family and friends failed by the system. But the Commission's work so far has highlighted that this is a truly national, truly massive challenge.
"And you are right to draw attention in this report to the particular issue of medicine safety in aged care.
"Several findings in the report are alarming.
"Over 95 per cent of people in aged care have at least one problem with their medicines -- and most have three problems.
"That has huge consequences for our aged and health care systems."
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