NATIONAL President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Trent Twomey, spoke to Pharmacy Daily about the highlights of 2024 and what he considers the coming year will look like for the industry.
Noting that cost-of-living pressures have continued to bite, Twomey has seen the toll it has taken on patients at his own pharmacy.
"I'm pleased that we secured the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA) to give everyone certainty for the future," Twomey told Pharmacy Daily.
"It balanced affordable medicines for patients, while ensuring a vibrant and growing community pharmacy industry, together with ameliorating some of the damage of 60-day dispensing."
A series of roadshows across the country last year with chief 8CPA negotiator and National Vice President, Anthony Tassone, resulted in face-to-face meetings with over a thousand members.
They discussed the current and future state of the industry, examined the impact of the 8CPA, and also encouraged pharmacists to explore what full scope of practice announcements will mean for them.
"We want community pharmacists across Australia to seize this opportunity," said Twomey.
"Expanding the range of services provided under scope of practice reforms can benefit your community, your pharmacy and your patients."
A priority point for the Guild is working with state governments to bring about greater consistency.
"Ultimately, we would like other states to see the positive impact of these changes in places like Queensland and commit to all 22 conditions being available regardless of state borders," Twomey said.
Pointing to Guild research showing that 82% of Australians trust their pharmacist to provide health advice for common, non-complex conditions, Twomey is keen to make the most of this trust by building the number of services available via community pharmacy to benefit local communities - especially those in rural, regional and remote areas.
"This change strengthens the role of community pharmacists in providing primary healthcare and allows them to take a leading role in patient treatment, and see a greater variety of patient conditions.
"We've seen it improve job satisfaction, and it is good news for patients and primary healthcare providers who are struggling to manage existing patient demand."
Twomey said the Guild will soon launch a range of resources for community pharmacists to support them to make the change.
"This will include example consulting room designs and layout best practice to make the transition as straightforward as possible."
Full scope of practice and the Doctor of Pharmacy qualification point to exciting opportunities for the next generation of pharmacists and pharmacy students.
"Graduates of these programs will be able to use their enhanced clinical training to offer more comprehensive care, including managing complex medication, health screenings and managing chronic diseases.
"It opens a wider range of career opportunities and brings Australia into line with the qualifications available in other countries like the UK and Canada.
"It will be transformational for students, our sector and, most importantly, our patients."
Check out the full interview in Pharmacy Daily's 2024 Year in Review special report HERE. KB
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