Ley ramps up Pharmacy Trial
August 1, 2016
HEALTH minister Sussan
Ley has confirmed she plans
to shortly call for further
funding applications for the
Pharmacy Trial program, urging
pharmacists across the country
to “be thinking about how you
might get involved”.
Speaking on Fri at the opening
session of the Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia’s PSA16
conference (PD breaking news),
Ley reiterated the government’s
commitment to remaking the
health system, with pharmacy a
vital part of the mix.
Collaboration across professions
will be key, she emphasised.
“We are not in competition, as
professionals, practitioners, policy
makers, patients, industry groups...
we are in cooperation,” she said.
Three trials have been approved
so far (PD 18 Mar),with the Guild led
Diabetes Trial “progressing
well,” she added.
Further consultations in Mar saw
108 submissions including “ideas
that would trial an expanded role
for pharmacists in primary care”.
In terms of the contentious
Pharmacy Review, Ley said she
wants it to “consider first and
foremost if we have a system that
meets the needs of consumers”.
To that end the forthcoming
consumer survey as part of the
review process will be key, with
hopes as many as 40,000 people
will provide their input.
“It will tell us the programs
and services that pharmacists
deliver that are most important to
consumers,” Ley said.
Any future pharmacy agreements
“must be in the context of long term
sustainability and equitable
distribution of the PBS as a
government-funded community
resource,” she concluded.
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