Pharmacy Daily | Productivity prevention focus hailed

THE Productivity Commission has recommended prioritising prevention programs to combat chronic conditions in its interim report, Delivering quality care more efficiently, a position welcomed by public health and patient peak bodies.

In its submission, Diabetes Australia called for a consistent, national approach to diabetes prevention and the development of self-care models for people living with diabetes.

This call was met in Recommendation 3 of the report, which urges the Australian Government to implement a National Prevention Investment Framework to support prevention programs that improve outcomes and reduce demand for future acute care services.

Diabetes Australia CEO Justine Cain said the individual and economic benefits of investing in chronic condition prevention and wellbeing are well documented.

"Diabetes Australia has long advocated for a national framework to inform investment in programs that prevent chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, as well as the complications relating to all types of diabetes," Cain said.

"The recommendations in this report demonstrate that the Federal Government's peak economic advisory body also understands the importance of such an approach.

"We hope that this high-level endorsement will be the catalyst for much needed action around prevention, particularly when it comes to the prevention of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes."

MEANWHILE, the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) has pointed to a glaring barrier in the Federal Budget process that hampers investment in prevention.

"The saying goes that prevention is better than cure, but when it comes to investing in prevention, Australia's federal budget system is broken," Adj Prof Terry Slevin, PHAA CEO, said.

"Current Federal Budget rules don't allow for forecasting or consideration of financial and productivity benefits beyond the four-year estimates period," he explained.

"That means the long-term benefits that come from preventive health measures are excluded from influencing government decision making - this is nuts."

Prof Slevin highlighted the recent pledge in Western Australia to allocate 5% of its health funding to prevention, as well as appointing a new Minister for Preventative Health (PD 19 Mar).

"The Commission's work presents an opportunity to collaborate on creating a mechanism to fix the system," Prof Slevin said.

"Our formal response to the Commission will include suggesting a model that assesses and funds preventive health efforts to ensure they're evidence-based, effective, and ongoing," he said. KB