COMMUNITY pharmacies need a strong voice within State and Territory Health Departments, to ensure the sector can function effectively in crisis situations, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, believes.
While issues surrounding access to priority COVID-19 testing for pharmacy staff have eased since the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services listed them as essential workers last week (PD 14 Aug), Tassone told Pharmacy Daily that there were several issues that had yet to be resolved.
"Whilst it is a relief that hopefully community pharmacy staff aren't having to endure confusion at COVID testing sites, what it does show is the lack of full appreciation and understanding of the role of community pharmacy by the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria and possibly the Victorian Government themselves," he said.
"In addition to the COVID testing misunderstandings, pharmacies were inadvertently lumped with other retail businesses by Business Victoria when setting out Stage Four restrictions that would have resulted in a reduction of staff levels and operations by one-third, along with other retail businesses.
"This would have been a disaster if it had gone ahead, and if it wasn't for the intervention of the Guild through high level advocacy -- an exemption may not have been achieved.
"Furthermore, we still have the ongoing issues on the NSW/Victoria border whereby hospital pharmacists, but not community pharmacists are considered essential healthcare workers with exemptions from the border order.
"Why is the importance of a pharmacist in a patient facing role deemed by the place of their practice?
"It's not only community pharmacy that is being impacted by the current border restrictions and there are genuine concerns across a range of health disciplines of unintended consequences for patients and our system without appropriate exemptions and special considerations.
"Pharmacies shouldn't have to sing for their supper to be recognised.
"We have turned up and been there for our patients from the start and throughout the pandemic.
"Perhaps we need a Chief Pharmacist in state Departments of Health?
"At the very least, somebody senior enough who truly understands the critical role we play each and every day across Australia for the public."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 20 Aug 20
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