The Pharmacy Guild has welcomed the start of the process to reform Medicare following a meeting of National Cabinet earlier this month in Parliament House.
Ahead of the meeting the Guild sent a letter to every Premier and Chief Minister urging them to support the push for community pharmacists to work their full scope of practice.
The letter pointed out to state and territory leaders the benefits to patients as well as the economy if pharmacists were able to prescribe medicine to treat uncomplicated conditions, freeing up GPs to treat more serious conditions and avoiding unnecessary patient presentations to already overcrowded emergency departments.
Citing research by respected accounting firm EY, the letter told Premiers and Chief Ministers that EY quantified the annual economic benefit to the country at $5.1billion.
Following the National Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler said that allied health professionals working to their full scope of practice was being examined as a way of relieving pressure on the health system.
Minister Butler told reporters in Canberra that at a time of workforce constraints, “it doesn’t make sense as a country not to have every health care professional work to the top of their scope of practice”.
Pharmacy Guild National President Professor Trent Twomey said the Guild supported the approach taken by the leaders at the cabinet meeting.
“We agree with the Prime Minister and the Health Minister that the interests of patients must always be at the centre of any healthcare reform,” Professor Twomey said.
“The Pharmacy Guild looks forward to engaging with all levels of government as well as other health professionals in negotiating better outcomes for patients and their communities.”
Reforming Medicare is shaping up as a centrepiece of this year’s budget and the matter will be discussed further when National Cabinet next meets in April.
