THE Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) wants the Labor Party to guarantee that the Society will be a signatory to the 7th Community Pharmacy Agreement.
Following the announcement of the Federal Election, PSA National President, Dr Chris Freeman issued a list of commitments it is seeking from both major parties should they win the election.
"PSA looks forward to working with an incoming Government to improve medicine safety for all Australians by empowering pharmacists to better meet the needs of the community," he said.
Among the list of commitments urged by Freeman was to "include PSA as a signatory to the CPA".
"PSA welcomes recent commitments by the Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, that PSA will be a signatory to the 7CPA, and from Labor's Shadow Health Minister, Catherine King to 'early and inclusive' negotiations," Dr Freeman said.
"PSA believes [in] the need to preserve the accessibility of community pharmacy for the delivery of health care services such as vaccinations, medication management and minor illness care.
"For this reason, and as recommended by the Review of Pharmacy Remuneration and regulation, PSA must be included as a signatory in the upcoming 7CPA."
The PSA President also called on the two major parties to "address the alarming rate of medicine-related harm in our health system by declaring medicine safety a national health priority area", and provide funding to embed pharmacists in healthcare teams, particularly in residential aged care.
He also said an incoming government should accept the MBS Review Taskforce's recommendation "to allow pharmacists to access allied health items to provide medication management services to patients with complex care requirements", and align the incentives for pharmacists to support rural and remote communities with those of other rural and remote health practitioners.
"It's only logical that incentives for other health professionals to go, to stay and to be educated in the bush, should be available to pharmacists as well," he said.
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