The future of pharmacy?
March 16, 2012
ESTABLISHING a PharmCare
agency that will handle
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
outlays in accordance with tasks
done, is set to be a controversial
topic at the upcoming 9th Annual
Future of the PBS Forum next month.
Speaking ahead of his
presentation Rollo Manning, NT
pharmacist and pharmacy
consultant, said that a PharmCare
agency would “stop this ridiculous
notion that the country owes
pharmacists a sustainable future
when if half of them closed no one
would miss them – the clients
would just go to the next nearest
one which in most cases is within
100 metres”.
Backing up his position, Rollo
said that “there have been too
many pharmacies for too long
enjoying the huge benefits of
discounting on generics and this
has kept them afloat.
“Let’s face it – pharmacy and the
PBS are part of a health system and
should NOT be viewed as a small
business support mechanism,” he
added.
Pharmacists, according to Rollo,
must be forced to realign with
primary health care and “stop
being retail merchandisers”.
“Each Approved Pharmacy should
be required by contract (and threat
of losing it) to undertake
accreditation as a medicines
management expert and provide
consumers with an upfront range of
clinical services that are adequately
reimbursed,” he said.
“The trouble now is that the
remuneration on offer from the
5CPA clinical programs has to be
spread across 4,700 outlets – who
said the country needed so many?,”
he added.
Rollo went on to recommend that
the Guild champion a realignment
plan with half the number of
approved pharmacies, which dishes
double the throughput for those
left, and which requires a contract
with the PBS to do certain tasks in
return for the dispensing fee.
“$6.42 for a few keystrokes and a
label on a repeat is fanciful with
the same fee for a person with a
chronic illness for first time
dispensing and in need of
counselling,” he said.
For more information on the
Forum CLICK HERE.
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