All procurements conducted so as “to ensure accountability and transparency”.
The Federal Department of Health has just issued a formal statement in relation to the Review of Pharmacy Remuneration and Regulation and “certain claims made in regards to the due diligence of the Review Secretariat in procuring an international literature review”.
The Pharmacy Guild last weekend told members it had concerns about a conflict of interest because the Review had engaged consulting group Deloitte, which had also helped prepare a Chemist Warehouse submission to the Review.
A Department spokesperson said all procurements conduced in relation to the review had been performed with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules .
“In regards to this particular procurement the Department was aware that Deloitte had previously undertaken work for a number of stakeholders in the community pharmacy sector, including community pharmacy banner groups, medicine manufacturers, and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia,” the spokesperson said.
As these engagements were complete the Department “did not consider this prior experience to represent an actual conflict of interest…in addition it was expected that the suppliers would have previously performed work in the pharmacy sector”.
Deloitte has provided assurances in relation to conflict of interest risks, with the scope of its engagement for the Review being to gather literature on the models in place for the remuneration and regulation of community pharmacy in overseas jurisdictions.
“The engagement does not extend to providing recommendations or advice,” Deloitte said.
More details in tomorrow’s issue of Pharmacy Daily.
