AUSTRALIA needs to develop a long-term plan to address ongoing workforce shortages in the pharmacy sector, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australian (SHPA) believes.
With the latest National Skills Commission Skills Priority List (PD 07 Oct) reporting there are shortages of both hospital and community pharmacists across all jurisdictions, SHPA CEO, Kristen Michaels, said a national strategy was needed.
"We must not lose the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which it was plain to see that beds, ventilators and vials are meaningless if we do not have enough specialist, experienced healthcare workers behind them," she said.
"Despite the hospital pharmacy workforce growing by about 50% nationally in the last decade, our sector is still recognised as [being] in shortage as demand for hospital pharmacists' expertise has far outstripped growth.
"Our medical colleagues and allied health colleagues know how important hospital pharmacists are to improving medication safety, facilitating patient flow through our crowded Emergency Departments and inpatient wards, and improving our healthcare systems capacity.
"Beyond the provision of medicines, the 'four walls' that surround hospital pharmacy are changing, and the specialised skills of hospital pharmacists are leading a growing number of interdisciplinary stewardship services to better meet the needs of some of Australia's most vulnerable patients.
"In addition to their invaluable clinical skills, specialist hospital pharmacists have been proven to reduce medication-related harms, optimise medication use, decrease hospital length of stay and reduce readmissions and their associated Medicare costs."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 10 Oct 22
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