Pharmacy Guild National President, Professor Trent Twomey says he will hold both major political parties on their commitment to maintain existing pharmacy ownership and location rules.
Professor Twomey was addressing thousands of pharmacists gathered at this year’s APP conference on the Gold Coast.
"Iron clad assurances"
In his speech to open the conference he said: “We seek iron clad assurances from the political parties that the ownership and location provisions will be maintained and before last year’s election both the Coalition and Labor committed to this, and we intend to hold them to their commitments.”
He also reflected on his two years as President, observing it has been challenging, exciting though at times frustrating.
“When I say exciting, challenging and at times frustrating I’m not just talking about myself. I know it has been all these things for you,” he told those attending APP.
"Decade of change"
Professor Twomey also said the pharmacy industry has grown in strength in the past two years and that a ‘decade of change’ was now underway.
“We are all experiencing a ‘decade of change’ - in workforce, in scope of practice, in patient requirements – indeed in patient expectations, in medicine pricing, in the type of medicines in market, in pharmacist training, pharmacy assistant training, in Government regulations, in Government funding and indeed in Governments,” he said.
He told the conference that while change is exciting and will present pharmacists with new opportunities, they can always count on the Guild for ongoing support.
“Your Guild is here to support you through this ‘decade of change’. We stand shoulder to shoulder with you - as your practices change, as your lives change and as your patients change.”
Challenges facing pharmacists
In what’s been a dynamic past two years for the Guild, Professor Twomey listed significant milestones such as the historic reduction in the PBS co-payment and successful pilots in several states and territories on scope of practice.
However, he says there is still much work to do as the Guild heads towards its centenary.
He singled out external factors impacting workforce as the biggest issue Guild members are raising with him.
“To better predict and influence the workforce dynamics the Guild is undertaking a workforce capability project. As we all know, there is no quick fix on workforce issues.
“This project is compiling a comprehensive outline on the workforce's capability, capacity and employability needs within and for community pharmacy, from both an owner's perspective and pharmacist point of view,” Professor Twomey said.
He says he is under no illusion at the size of the task but says addressing the issues now head on with data and the correct strategies will help pharmacists overcome these challenges sooner rather than later.
“…our workforce capability project will present you with the facts not opinions and we’ll be able to design and advocate for policies to fix the issues we are all experiencing.
“We don’t want to turn around in a few years’ time and wonder what the correct strategies could have been and what we could have been put in place to ensure Pharmacy is a desirable career with great employees and employers,” he said.
