Pharmacy Daily | NAPSA drops the Coalition

THE National Australian Pharmacy Students’ Association (NAPSA) has dropped out of the Pharmacist Coalition for Health Reform due to a disagreement over a Senate Inquiry into the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement. According to NAPSA, it does not support the call for a Senate Inquiry, and it was in no way involved in the recent press release by the Coalition calling for one. “NAPSA’s position as a signatory on the Pharmacists Coalition for Health Reform has become non-tenable as a result of assumptions by the Coalition that NAPSA’s members would agree to any course of action without prior consultation,” a NAPSA statement issued overnight said. “NAPSA will not partake in activities which threaten to destabilise the continuity of medicines supply and provision of professional services to the Australian public via the Community Pharmacy Agreement,” the statement added. In particular, NAPSA took umbrage at the assumption that it would follow the Coalition’s lead without discussion, saying that it could not endorse an organisation which does not support consultation with its membership. In addition, NAPSA went a step further, throwing its support behind the 5CPA, saying it has delivered, and will continue to deliver optimal health outcomes for all Australians. “NAPSA’s members, comprising over 4000 pharmacy students Australia wide, wish to be part of community pharmacy in Australia as it stands,” NAPSA said. “Pharmacy students wish to see the profession evolve, but not at the risk of destabilising the current model which continues to serve the Australian public and deliver health care outcomes via the community pharmacy network,” NAPSA added.

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