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PSA Payment Tokens

Terms and Conditions

 

Definitions

 

“PSA payment token” means one of the following digital tokens issued by us to you:

 

  • PSA tokens used to access a discount granted by PSA on a PSA product or service such as a textbook or workshop, supplied as part of a temporary marketing promotion or as part of an employee reward scheme (“Discount token“); or
  • PSA tokens used as a credit note granted by PSA, such as when a product is exchanged for change of mind (“Credit note token“); and

 

1. PSA tokens used to pre-pay for a particular PSA good or service, that is available for a limited period of time. For example, a 12 month APF subscription or a workshop registration (“Pre-pay token“).

 

“Website” means www.psa.org.au.

 

References to “we, us, our” in these terms and conditions refer to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) ACN 008 532 072.

 

References to “you” or “your” is a reference to the person who is in possession of the PSA payment token at the relevant time for the purposes of these terms and conditions, or who authorises another person to do something with or to the token on their behalf.

 

Acceptance

 

2. These terms and conditions apply to each PSA payment token. By activating, using or attempting to use the PSA payment token you agree to accept and be bound by these terms and conditions of this agreement and warrant to us that you will not use the PSA payment token in any manner that is unlawful, misleading, deceptive, unfair or otherwise harmful to consumers.

 

3. Our Privacy Policy is available at www.psa.org.au/about/privacy. By activating, using or attempting to use the PSA payment token you acknowledge and agree that you have read our Privacy Policy.

 

4. If you permit another person to use a PSA payment token, you must ensure that he or she is aware of these terms and conditions that apply to the PSA payment token and the relevant expiry date.

 

Expiry of token

 

5. Discount tokens last for 1 year and will expire twelve months after the date of issue as indicated on the token unless otherwise shown on the screen confirmation as part of the marketing campaign directly to customers. The expiry date for a Discount token may be less than twelve months depending on the nature of the marketing campaign, for example, where the discount applies to a good or service that is only available for a specified period (for example, attendance at an event with a specific date).

 

6. Credit note tokens last for 3 years and will expire 36 months after the date of issue as indicated on the token. The expiry date for a Credit note token may be less than 3 years where the token applies to a good or service that is only available for a specified period (for example, attendance at an event with a specific date).

 

7. Pre-pay tokens last for 1 year and will expire twelve months after the date of issue as indicated on the token unless otherwise shown on the email confirmation received with the pre-pay tokens.

 

After the PSA payment token has expired, it is no longer valid and attempts to use the PSA payment token will be declined. Except in relation to Non-excludable Consumer Obligations (see clause 13), and otherwise to the extent permitted by law, any unused value may not be refunded and may become our property.

 

Provision of PSA Payment Tokens

 

8. PSA payment tokens can be obtained from the following means:

 

1. provided directly by PSA via email; or

 

2. offered in conjunction with a PSA-managed marketing campaign, direct to customers, including members; or

 

3. in relation to Pre-pay tokens only, your Pre-pay token can be purchased directly from PSA on the Website if the purchase amount is less than $2,500. You must pay for the Pre-pay token by a payment method specified on the Website. In relation to Pre-pay token purchases more than $2,500, you must contact PSA on 1300 369 772 (during AEST business hours) to be directed to a staff member who can assist with your Pre-pay token(s); provision of your tokens via email will be provided after payment is received ;

 

and will be activated following security confirmation.

 

Redeeming PSA Payment Tokens

 

9. Unless otherwise specified, PSA payment tokens may be used toward a purchase of any PSA product or service offered on the Website. Where specified, some PSA payment tokens may be limited to use on specific products or services, which will be specified on the token confirmation email. For example, a PSA payment token provided to support registration for an immunisation workshop only cannot be used to purchase a textbook from PSA’s online bookshop.

 

10. PSA payment tokens are only redeemable at the Website. The PSA payment token’s unique code must be applied to the field called coupon code on the PSA shopping cart during the check-out process on the Website.

 

11. Except in relation to Non-excludable Consumer Obligations (see clause 13), PSA payment tokens cannot be redeemed for cash, cannot be used for cash equivalent transactions (such as bill payments, purchase of financial products or foreign currency, or gambling transactions), reloaded , returned for a refund or consolidated with the balance of another PSA payment token. If you attempt to do one of these things, we may, to the extent permitted by law, elect to cancel a PSA payment token or block such a transaction. PSA payment tokens are not legal tender, account cards, credit or debit cards or securities. Where the price of the product being purchased with the PSA payment token exceeds the value of the PSA payment token, you must pay the amount exceeding the value of the PSA payment token by an alternative payment method as specified on the Website.

 

Lost or stolen PSA Payment Tokens

 

12. You must keep your PSA payment token (and its unique code) secure and treat this like cash. The PSA payment token will not be replaced if it is lost or stolen. If your PSA payment token is lost, stolen or you suspect an unauthorised transaction, immediately report this by calling PSA member services on 1300 369 772 (during AEST business hours).

 

Exclusions and limitations

 

13. Consumers have certain rights and remedies (including, without limitation, consumer guarantee rights) under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded, restricted or modified by agreement. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions operates to exclude, restrict or modify the application of any provision, condition or warranty, the exercise of any right or remedy, or the imposition of any liability, implied or conferred under the Australian Consumer Law or any other statute, where to do so would contravene that statute, or cause any part of these Terms and Conditions to be void (Non-excludable Consumer Obligations).

 

14. Except in relation to Non-excludable Consumer Obligations, and otherwise to the extent permitted by law, all conditions, warranties, guarantees, rights, remedies, liabilities or other terms implied or conferred by statute, custom or the common law that impose any liability or obligation on PSA are excluded from these Terms and Conditions.

 

15. Except in relation to Non-excludable Consumer Obligations, and otherwise to the extent permitted by law, PSA will have no liability for lost or stolen PSA payment tokens. We may, but are not obliged to, replace a lost or stolen PSA payment token. Any replacement PSA payment token will have the same unused value (at the time of replacement) and expiry date.

 

Enquiries

 

16. If you have a query or complaint about the PSA payment token, please raise it through any of our contact channels by calling PSA member services on 1300 369 772 (during AEST business hours) or by contacting your direct contact at PSA.

 

Cancellation

 

17. We may cancel the PSA payment token scheme, for any reason at any time by providing reasonable notice to you. If we do so, we will honour any PSA payment token issued prior to the cancellation of the scheme up until the PSA payment token’s specified expiry date.

 

18. We may cancel any PSA payment token for any reason at any time by providing reasonable notice to you. If we do so, we will either provide a refund or a replacement PSA payment token of equivalent value (for example, to be used for a different event) unless we have cancelled the PSA payment token due to your misuse or reasonably suspected fraud. In the event of cancellation, the PSA payment token remains our property.

 

Amendments to terms and conditions

 

19. We can vary or replace these terms and conditions from time to time by providing reasonable notice to you and updating these terms and conditions on the Website.

 

Governing Law

 

20. These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of the Australian Capital Territory, Australia.  Each party submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Australian Capital Territory.

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National President’s Message: COVID-19 Update

19 May 2020

 

Two months ago when COVID-19 led to the rapid implementation of Stage 3 restrictions, it seemed impossible that by mid-May we would have seen cafes and restaurants reopening, boot camps recommencing and multiple jurisdictions achieving zero active known COVID-19 cases. For many in the community, there is a feeling that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and there is agitation to return to our pre-pandemic lives.

 

I echo the sentiments of Professor Michael Kidd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer on Saturday that everyone must remain vigilant, and that the relaxation of restrictions is not a signal the pandemic is over and not a signal to return to life as it was pre-COVID-19. In the past few days, we have seen news headlines of new cases prompting workplace shutdowns, including multiple fast food stores, a furniture warehouse and a department store. We have also seen public criticism of people who attended workplaces providing health support when unwell.

 

We are moving into a ‘business as unusual’ environment where we reopen our community in a way which recognises and respects the ongoing presence of a virus to which we currently have no effective pharmacological treatment or community immunity.

 

In your practice, to your family and to your friends, promote and exhibit the modified norms: ongoing physical distancing, rigorous hand hygiene, staying home and being tested if sick and enhanced cleaning.

 

Serious Shortage Medicine Substitution system falls seriously short

 

You would likely be aware that the TGA last week published the first Serious Shortage Medicine Substitution Notice (SSSN) as part of its medicine shortages initiative. The initiative is meant to help patients continue to access medicines without delay during stock shortages, but the way it has been set up will make this difficult to achieve.

 

In this case, metformin XR 500mg is expected to be out of stock until at least early June. The TGA SSSN outlines three permitted substitutions based on total daily dose:

  • 1500mg daily: substitute with metformin 1000mg XR and metformin 500mg IR
  • 1000mg daily: metformin 1000mg XR
  • 500mg daily: metformin 500mg IR

 

The permitted quantity to supply aligns to the equivalent doses to what was prescribed.

 

Does an SSSN make substitution by pharmacists legal?

 

As laws governing supply of medicines are state/territory-specific, whether you are allowed to make this substitution depends on where you practice – and each state and territory has incorporated it differently.

 

You are allowed to make the substitution unless you are practising in Victoria or South Australia – neither state has issued a public health order required to enable the substitution. For a more complete understanding of the regulation in your location, click here.

 

Is an SSSN recognised for PBS supply?

 

No. There is no provision to supply under the PBS when medicines are substituted under this approach. Even through metformin XR is a relatively low-cost medicine, this increase in out-of-pocket costs is a problem for some patients. For more expensive medicines, lack of PBS eligibility will render the SSSN impractical as patients will be better off delaying treatment to get an alternate prescription from their doctor.

 

When therapeutic substitution for medicine shortages was first tabled jointly by both the PSA and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, this is not the model we put forward. In our view, the system is too complicated, too slow to respond to shortages, too inflexible to take into account local medicine shortages, and too bureaucratic to recognise pharmacists’ competence to make, what are largely, straightforward substitutions.

 

PSA will continue to work with state, territory and federal governments to improve patient access to medicines during shortages – with our first priority being to improve the workability of these arrangements. Together with the Guild, we will be following up with state and territories to modify state regulation to improve this system for pharmacists and the health and safety of patients.

 

Electronic prescriptions just a few weeks away

 

Electronic prescriptions remain a hot topic and one of strong interest to the profession, particularly as many of you are weighted down under a mountain of administratively complex digital image prescriptions.

 

Electronic prescriptions remain on target for implementation from the end of this month, with some prescribing and dispensing software providers expected to include its functionality in June software updates.

 

Last Wednesday night, I hosted an electronic prescriptions webinar in partnership with the Australian Digital Health Agency. We had more than 500 pharmacists join us for the live event, with a high level of engagement, interest and questions regarding how the initiative will work.

 

Webinars on electronic prescriptions will become a fortnightly event in coming months to ensure your questions and as you start to see them come through in your practice.

 

National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan

 

National Cabinet, last Friday, unanimously agreed to a nationally consistent approach to responding to mental health challenges which arise from the pandemic. The approach is described in the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Pandemic Response Plan, with suicide prevention a strong focus. The plan consists of:

  1. Data and modelling: including a focus on real-time data to identify emerging issues
  2. Outreach: focused on helping vulnerable communities, including older Australians, carers of people with mental illness, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and indigenous Australians
  3. Connectivity: including a public communications campaign titled: “It’s OK not to be OK”

 

The approach will work towards a ‘no-wrong-door’ approach to services, that wherever a person goes, they will be connected to part of the health system that can provide the services people need.

 

As I discussed last week, pharmacists are often a first point of contact for trauma-affected communities. Patients you interact with will present with signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, which can include reaching out to you in an indirect way. In supporting the ‘no-wrong-door’ approach outlined in the plan, I encourage you to know what options are available in your area and to connect patients to these services.

 

If you live in an eligible bushfire affected and have not already done so, I encourage you to sign up for the fully funded Mental Health First Aid training being run during May and June. Details the dates for these two-part workshops in your area are available here. If you don’t live in these areas, I encourage you to investigate other MHFA training in your area, such as those offered through PSA.

 

Webinar: MATOD in the time of COVID-19

 

As Australia cautiously eases restrictions, we are on a path towards ‘business as unusual’. So what will ‘business as unusual’ look like for your opioid substitution patients and services?

 

Join me on Wednesday night as Pene Wood, Lecturer of Clinical Pharmacy at LaTrobe University joins me to discuss the arrangements in place to support people living with opioid dependence on methadone or buprenorphine therapy.

 

7.30pm (EST) Wednesday 20 May

 

Register here.

 

Stay up-to-date

 

Our dedicated COVID-19 microsite has been updated with state-specific mapping of how the TGA SSSNs apply in each state and territory – as well as daily updates with information relevant to you.

 

Sincerely,

Associate Professor Chris Freeman

National President

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

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National President’s Message: COVID-19 Update

12 May 2020

 

Friday’s release of the Roadmap to a COVID Safe Australia marks a significant shift in Australia’s response to COVID-19. It marks significant achievements in Australia’s work to supress transmission of COVID-19 in the community. It marks a shift towards reopening businesses in forced hibernation. And it marks a shift towards social and family interactions.

 

Both from a sense of achievement and risk, the key change is that it marks a shift towards exponentially more human-to-human interaction in the Australian community.

 

All federal, state and territory leaders have reinforced, repeatedly, that this represents risk of increased transmission of COVID-19 and the risk of outbreaks. They have emphasised the roadmaps each jurisdiction is adopting are incremental stages.

 

As frontline health providers and as members of the Australian community you have an important role to play in helping your community transition to a COVID-Safe ways of living.

 

As people start to mingle more in returning to workplaces, cafes, restaurants, gyms, schools, swimming pools, shopping centres and on public transport; physical distancing, hand hygiene and staying home if they are sick is more important now than ever.

 

Be familiar with your local restrictions. Understand how the roadmap will roll-out in your area. Make more permanent changes to your work environment to make it COVID-Safe. Keep referring anyone with even mild respiratory symptoms to testing centres. Reinforce public health messages message with your patients constantly.

 

Collectively we can all make a huge difference in making Australia COVID safe.

 

Electronic prescriptions

 

Last week marked a significant milestone towards the introduction of electronic prescriptions. The first genuine and legally valid electronic prescription was created, stored and dispensed last week in Angelsea, Victoria.

 

Unlike digital image prescriptions, which are – sometimes poor quality – electronic reproductions of paper prescriptions, electronic prescriptions are completely paperless. They will reduce transcription errors and interpretation errors. They will also help consumers access their prescriptions where and when they want them.

 

PSA has been working with the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency), for some time on the workflow, support and resources needed to help with an effective and smooth transition to electronic prescriptions. I will continue to keep you updated in coming weeks and months as we welcome this evolution in pharmacy practice.

 

In the leadup to the introduction of electronic prescriptions at the end of the month, I’m pleased to be hosting this week’s Wednesday webinar, in partnership with the Agency to go through the important things you need to know, and answer all your questions.

 

Registration is open to all pharmacists, and available here.

 

Secure messaging

 

As electronic prescriptions advance towards its go-live date, work continues in the development of secure messaging systems. Secure messaging is the safe, encrypted transfer of information between health professionals; more secure, convenient and timely than current communication methods such as post and fax.

 

PSA is working with the Agency to help ensure the systems and technology work for pharmacists, and is seeking your input on what you need the system to do, and your insight into the current way you send and receive information to/from other health professionals. This can include routine sharing of records and data between services (e.g. faxing a dispensing history or Continued Dispensing Notice) or actual person-person communication such as contacting a prescriber directly about an issue or for additional information.

 

I encourage you to participate in the survey which is open until 17 May.

 

Mental health support for bushfire affected Australians

 

Last summer’s horrific bushfire season created significant individual and collective trauma for affected communities. While the media coverage of the recovery has been muted somewhat by COVID-19, colleagues in those areas have described to me the pain and struggle which those communities have and continue to experience.

 

I’m therefore pleased to report that PSA is partnering with the Australian Government to upskill pharmacists and pharmacy support staff in bushfire-affected areas, to support mental health in communities affected by the 2019-20 bushfires.

 

Pharmacists are often a first point of contact for trauma-affected communities and Mental Health First Aid training aims to improve frontline workers’ ability to support community members, promote their own resilience and psychological recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires, and support the resilience and wellbeing of frontline workers’ and their employers.

 

The course has both an eLearning component and two (2) virtual workshops of 2.5 hours each regarding the symptoms, causes and evidence-based treatments for mental health conditions, the early warning signs of mental illness, possible crisis situations arising from mental health problems, addressing crisis situations and the importance of intervening before a crisis develops.

 

The course is fully funded for pharmacists in affected areas and is being run during May and June. Details the dates for the two-part workshop for your area and logistics are available here.

 

Scheduling changes announced: triptans and paracetamol SR

 

The TGA late last week released a series of final scheduling decisions, announcing the following changes relevant to pharmacists:

  • Sumatriptan 50mg (2 doses): New Schedule 3 entry from 1 February 2021
  • Zolmitriptan 2.5mg (2 doses): New Schedule 3 entry from 1 February 2021
  • Mometasone 0.1% (up to 15g): New Schedule 3 entry from 1 June 2020
  • Paracetamol modified-release (up to 665mg: Packs of up to 100 tabs become Schedule 3 on 1 June 2020

 

I welcome these changes, particularly in regard to improving access to migraine medicines for people with stable migraine given the immediate need for symptom relieving medicines when a migraine strikes. As new Pharmacist Only Medicines, PSA will be preparing guidance documents to support safe, appropriate supply of these products.

 

To be clear, these changes remain well within the scope of practice of pharmacists, and I have encouraged the medical profession to refrain from providing comment outside their own scope of practice, that is the training and competencies of pharmacists.

 

As we all know, acute presentations like migraines don’t always present 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays.

 

I encourage you to start socialising the change for modified release paracetamol to patients now to reduce confusion in June.

 

Pharmacists advice line

 

Following your feedback, we have worked to improve the way in which we respond to member practice queries. One of ways we are doing this is through the launch of a direct pharmacist-to-pharmacist advice line, offering professional advice from a senior pharmacist exclusively to PSA members.

 

Call on 1300 369 772 between 8.30am to 5.00pm AEST weekdays for professional advice and support on:

  • Practice-related queries including APF, professional practice standards and guidelines, competency standards
  • Ethics related queries including Code of Ethics and/or ethical dilemmas
  • Technical queries about medicines, compounding and medicine availability
  • Regulatory queries about legislation and policy matters
  • Registration queries including CPD requirements and AHPRA requirements.

 

Stay up-to-date

 

Our dedicated COVID-19 microsite has been updated with state-specific plans to the COVIDSafe Australia Roadmap released last week. PSA will continue to communicate changes with you via this site, social media and in this weekly column.

 

Sincerely,

Associate Professor Chris Freeman
National President
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

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PSA welcomes Federal Government mental health initiative

18 May 2020

 

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes the announcement made by the Federal Government that will see an extra $48.1 million put towards the COVID-19 mental health plan.

 

Announced by the Federal Minister Greg Hunt, $7.3 million will be used for research and real-time data, $29.5 million for outreach to vulnerable communities and $11.3 million for communication and other outreach programs.

 

PSA National President Associate Professor Chris Freeman said this announcement would not only benefit health professionals, including pharmacists that have been on the frontline during COVID-19, but all Australians.

 

“This has been a tough time for many Australians, including pharmacists who have continued to provide an essential service to the community throughout the entire COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

 

“Pharmacists working during COVID-19, have not only had to care for patients but also had to look after the safety and wellbeing of their colleagues, family and friends, as well as themselves.

 

“I would ask any pharmacist’s struggling at the moment to reach out for help.

 

“PSA is delivering Mental Health First Aid training to Australian Pharmacists and Pharmacy staff to support them – as they support the community.

 

“Pharmacists are often the first health professional people will see in a disaster, PSA is committed to equipping pharmacists and pharmacy staff to be able to identify patients who might be in need of professional mental health services and referring them to the care they need.”

 

There are a range of support services available including on our PSA microsite, the pharmacist Support Service or Beyond Blue.”

 

Support services are available on the dedicated PSA COVID-19 microsite: www.psa.org.au/coronavirus

 

Pharmacists’ Support Service is available on 1300 244 910 and Beyond Blue 1800 512 348.

 

Media contact: PSA media: 0487 922 176

 

Download media release

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Supply of PBS medicines now allowed in Queensland through digital image

Friday, 15 March

 

Queensland has become the latest state to allow the prescribing of PBS medicines through a digital image following an announcement by Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles.

 

Under this Special Arrangement, which begins Monday 18 May, prescribers can provide a digital image or copy of a person’s prescription following a telehealth consultation to the patient’s pharmacy of choice via fax, email or text message.

 

PSA Queensland Branch President Chris Campbell welcomed the announcement which brings Queensland in-line with all the other states and territories when it comes to digital image prescribing.

 

“This announcement will greatly decrease workload for pharmacists who will no longer be required to manually process prescriptions,” he said.

 

“The process for pharmacies to receive a patients prescription from the prescriber will now be a lot quicker and provides Queenslanders with more options to reduce the need to leave their home during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

“This eliminates the issue of patients having to wait sometimes days for paper prescriptions to reach the pharmacy following a telehealth consultation.

 

“It is important Queenslanders continue to receive timely healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic and I congratulate the Queensland Government on making this necessary change.”

 

Digital image prescriptions will remain in place until the end of September 2020 with paper prescriptions also available during this period like they have always been.

 

For more information please visit the dedicated PSA COVID-19 microsite

 
Media contact: Chris Campbell PSA Queensland Branch Manager 0422 845 836

 

Download media release

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Award nomination form

Use this form to submit your award nomination for the Intern Pharmacist of the Year.

 

Nominations close Friday 11 June 2021.

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Please provide the contact details of up to two referees who support this nomination















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Which Award category are you nominating for? You may select more than one. 

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Pharmacists in NSW now able to administer vaccinations outside of pharmacy

8 May 2020

 

Those most vulnerable in New South Wales will now be better protected following an announcement by the NSW Government today that will allow pharmacists to administer vaccinations outside of a community pharmacy.

 

In a move that has been welcomed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, pharmacists are now able to provide vaccinations in places such as residential aged care settings, Aboriginal Medical Services, private and public hospitals and community health centres as well as community pharmacies.

 

PSA NSW Branch President Professor Peter Carroll congratulated the NSW Government and welcomed the initiative which will ensure community pharmacists can help vaccinate more people against vaccine preventable diseases such as influenza.

 

“This will be particularly beneficial to people having difficulties accessing vaccinations, such as those who may be housebound or residents of aged care facilities,” he said.

 

“At a time when our health care system is under extreme pressure due to COVID-19, increasing options for more people in NSW to access vaccinations is vital.

 

“We are seeing a particularly large uptake of people accessing the influenza vaccine this year and pharmacists continue to play a role in keeping our communities safe.”

 

This change comes just two months after the NSW Government announced that pharmacists are able to administer the influenza vaccination to children aged 10 years and above, helping to increase the vaccination rates across the state.

 

As the peak national body for pharmacists, PSA will continue to work with the NSW Government to remove barriers which restrict pharmacists from administering other vaccines to better protect the community.”

 

Media contact: PSA NSW State Manager, Simone Diamandis – 0414 574 754

 

Download media release

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National President’s Message: COVID-19 Update

6 May 2020

 

This week marks a significant decision point for Australia’s return to a more normal life. Following seven weeks of Stage 3 public movement restrictions, the National Cabinet is meeting today and on Friday to consider a pathway to moving to Level 2 restrictions. While last week saw some jurisdictions make small adjustments to Stage 3 restrictions last week, National Cabinet will consider much more significant changes when it meets. This is cause for cautious but growing optimism.

 

As recent public debates over school closures, public recreation activities and physical distancing requirements have shown, there is significant community confusions over the public health measures. This confusion is likely to grow as restrictions change, potentially at different rates in different locations.

 

As public health ambassadors, we all have a responsibility to help our patients and community navigate these restrictions and provide confidence in the expert advice they provide to our governments. It is vitally important you are across the restrictions relevant to your area, the rationale for them and that you demonstrate them in your work.

 

This week, I’d like to update you on the following:

 

Electronic prescriptions

 

Electronic prescriptions will begin to be available from the end of May 2020. Long promised, the introduction of electronic prescriptions will mark one of the most significant changes to pharmacist workflow since the computerisation of dispensaries in the 1980s.

 

Electronic prescriptions are paperless prescriptions, where the legal copy of the prescription is fully-digital and exists in the Electronic Prescription Repository.

 

Electronic prescriptions will initially be accessed through tokens, where patients are provided with a unique QR barcode sent via SMS, email or an app (if the patient has one) or printed on paper during the consultation. This will be similar to technology that the patient is already familiar with such as an electronic boarding pass for a flight or online ticket to a sporting event or concert.

 

To access the prescriptions, the QR code (token) is scanned and downloaded via prescription exchange servers (for example, eRx/MediSecure etc.) directly into dispensing software for dispensing. PSA has been working with the Australian Digital Health Agency and other peak bodies to inform implementation which supports pharmacist workflow, particularly in relation to professional, legal and medicine safety obligations.

 

In the lead up to the launch of electronic prescriptions at the end of the month, I encourage you and your colleagues to review the Agency’s information page on electronic prescriptions, including vital information on how to prepare your practice.

 

Pharmacy interns: supporting flexibility and certainty

 

The intern year is a tough year, even without the added stress of COVID-19. As I’ve written previously, PSA has been working with the Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA) to recognise the challenges COVID-19 has created for interns and seek appropriate flexibility to ensure interns can meet the requirements of general registration in a way which does not play undue stress on their health or employment – particularly in relation to burnout.

 

I’m pleased that PBA last week announced interim modifications to these requirements, including:

  • reducing supervised practice hours required from 1824 hours to 1575 hours
  • waiving the requirement for a minimum of 80 hours of supervised practice during any four consecutive calendar week
  • waiving the requirement for at least 152 hours of supervised practice under the supervision of an individual preceptor
  • sensible changes to the examination requirements, including delaying the June and July written exams to October in an online exam, and changing requirements to sit the oral exam.

 

More detailed information can be found on the PBA’s website and the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) website.

 

PSA fought hard for these sensible changes, and I welcome these announcements which provide certainty and more flexibility for interns.

 

Practice issues: declining supply

 

During COVID-19, pharmacists have been subject to unacceptable abuse and aggression from patients when declining supply of medicines to enforce supply limits and new restrictions aimed at maintaining the integrity of the supply chain and supporting the safe use of medicines.

 

PDL has provided advice which supports guidance provided by PSA in relation to declining requests for salbutamol and hydroxychloroquine where supply is not appropriate or legal.

 

Following notifications, PDL has recently provided practice advice to help pharmacists responding to requests for medicines affected by regulatory changes:

  • inform patients of the regulatory changes during the supply process
  • explain the reasons for these changes and the limitations the changes place on pharmacists
  • discuss with patients the factors which led to your decision to agree to or decline supply
  • provide recommendations to facilitate continuity of care (e.g. seeking medical review for consideration of bronchospasm in a person not diagnosed with asthma)

 

While recognising this may take additional time, PDL has emphasised the importance of good communication in reducing the likelihood of confusion of allegations of discrimination. I join with PDL in strongly urging all pharmacists to document any decision to decline supply of medicines, particularly salbutamol and hydroxychloroquine.

 

Promoting public health measures to your patients

 

As I touched on in the introduction, public health messages can be confusing to patients, particularly when there is local variation to restrictions which is difficult for national media to effectively communicate.

 

As we move towards a likely progression to Stage 2 restrictions, it is important you convey the staged approach to restrictions, including:

  • the likely need for physical distancing to be ongoing for some time, and demonstrating this in your practise
  • importance of patients undergoing COVID-19 testing, even in cases of mild symptoms
  • benefits of those who are vulnerable in continuing to exercise caution and limit public contact
  • potential for localised restrictions in response to outbreaks

 

Indeed, clamping down on local outbreaks will become one of the most critical parts of Australia’s pandemic response. In revealing Australia has met 11 of the 15 measures required to provide confidence in relaxing restrictions, the CMO and Prime Minister have emphasised the need to increase capacity for rapid contact tracing.

 

The most effective way this can be achieved is through increased uptake of the COVIDSafe app. I encourage you to continue to promote the app to your patients and to your teams to help speed up contact tracing when positive cases are detected. The Melbourne meat-packing plant outbreak this week shows just how quickly the virus can spread and the importance of rapid contact tracing.

 

WHO Medicines Without Harm: Australia’s response

 

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care have released Australia’s response to Medication without Harm – WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge. The global challenges aims to reduce the harm caused by medicines by 50% by 2025.

 

The Commission have described Australia’s goal as reducing medicine errors, adverse drug events and medication-related hospital admissions by 50% by 2025. This is an ambitious goal.

 

As described last year in PSA’s watershed report, Medicine Safety: Take Care, medicine safety problems result in 250,000 hospital admissions and 450,000 emergency department presentations, of which 50% are avoidable.

 

The response focuses Australia’s efforts in polypharmacy, high-risk medicines and transitions of care. These areas have been identified in PSA’s medicine safety report series as the areas of highest patient medicine safety risk. Success in these areas will go a long way to achieving this goal of 50% reduced harm.

 

As medicine experts, pharmacists have the most significant role to play in reducing medicine-related harm. Pivotal in Australia achieving this goal will be policy settings and funding which support pharmacists in their roles as leaders in medicine safety.

 

As your representative body, PSA will ensure medicine safety is front and centre in everything we and pharmacists do, including ensuring the upcoming 7th Community Pharmacy Agreement adequately addresses the medicine safety challenge and supports pharmacists to address this issue.

 

Weekly webinar: COVID-19 related burnout

 

Last Wednesday, I was joined 7CPA lead negotiator Dr Shane Jackson and pharmacist and Queensland ECP of the year 2019 Nicolette Ellis. We talked about COVID-19 and telehealth, particularly the follow-up services that have been announced for HMRs and RMMRs. COVID-19 has driven uptake of telehealth much faster than anticipated, including the recent announcement by the Government that pharmacists can deliver HMRs, RMMRs and MedsChecks to eligible patients via telehealth.

 

During Stage 3 restrictions you have dealt with increased workload, panic buying, medicines shortages, inappropriate off-label prescribing, irate customers and the stress of self-isolating from family and friends to prevent transmission of the virus. I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on you. You’ve been put in situations that have caused incredible stress.

 

Join us as tomorrow night as discuss burnout, reducing your emotional load, and managing conflict, including de-escalating irate customers who may take their frustrations out on you. I’ll be joined by Gary West from PDL, and Kay Dunkley from PSS to answer your questions about how to look after yourself. The webinar is available be at 7.30PM EST Wednesday night. Register here.

 

Stay up-to-date

 

Our dedicated COVID-19 microsite continues to see strong traffic. There will be further updates in the coming days with state-specific mapping of temporary amendment to First Aid and CPR requirements for vaccination during COVID-19.

 

In this week’s videos I talk about the importance of the COVIDSafe app and call for increased penalties for assault against pharmacists.

 

Sincerely,

Associate Professor Chris Freeman

National President

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

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Update on internship requirements and examinations

PSA have been advocating on behalf of interns to the Pharmacy Board of Australia (PBA) to ensure that interns are not delayed in the journey to general registration due to the impacts of Covid-19.

 

The PBA has today announced some interim modifications to some of the requirements for general registration and examinations.

 

The main changes are:

  • The number of supervised practice hours required for general registration has reduced from 1824 hours to 1575 hours
  • Interns are no longer required to complete a minimum of 80 hours of supervised practice during any four consecutive calendar week
  • Intern no longer have to complete a minimum of 152 hours of supervised practice under the supervision of an individual preceptor for those hours to count towards supervised practice.

 

Examinations Update:

  • A pass in the written examination will not be required to sit the October oral exam
  • To be eligible to sit the October oral exam, interns are required to have completed 75% of the revised supervised practice hours (1181 hours).

 

More detailed information can be found on the PBA’s website and the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) website.

 

At this time, we would encourage you to focus on maximising your workplace experience and completing your ITP assignments to prepare yourself for the examinations and general registration.

 

We appreciate these changes will impact you all differently so please contact us on 1300 369 772 or learnersupport@psa.org.au if you have any questions/would like to discuss.

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National President’s Message: COVID-19 Update

28 April 2020

 

It is good to feel a genuine sense of optimism for the first time in a while. Promising signs of flattening the curve in recent weeks have been sustained over time. The hard work you and the whole Australian community have done to pivot to a new way of working, providing health care and living is paying off.

 

I am hearing from you that workloads are stabilising, and that a new rhythm of working with COVID-19 is being bedded down. Still busy, still challenging, still exhausting; but a little more stable and a little more predictable.

 

The launch of the COVIDSafe app on Sunday marks a shift towards a new chapter in Australia’s pandemic response – a chapter where hard lockdown measures can slowly be relaxed through sustained COVID19 suppression and the ability to rapidly identify, isolate and supress outbreaks.

 

Only four weeks ago, the prospect of this week’s recommencement of Category 2 and some Category 3 surgical procedures such as colonoscopies, dental filling and cancer screening seemed unfathomable. Even more unfathomable 4 weeks ago are the gentle relaxation of social restrictions announced in the past two days in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.

 

This optimism, however, is cautious. Australia’s enviable success in surpressing COVID-19 so far has been dependent on extraordinary societal adjustment through adherence to social distancing and Stay-at-Home orders. As frontline health workers, you know the how rapidly an outbreak can spread and undo everyone’s hard work.

 

COVIDSafe contact tracing app

 

PSA is proud to join with 11 other peak health organisations in supporting the COVIDSafe app as a public health measure. As a unified voice, we join with the health minister and the health care community to support and approve the COVIDSafe app as a critical tool in helping Australia fight the COVID-19 pandemic, protect and save lives.

 

Downloading the app to helps protect you, your colleagues, other health professionals, carers and support staff. This will help us protect you and help you protect us.

 

Community privacy concerns regarding the app are understandable. I have been reassured by the unprecedented privacy protections provided by the Human Biosecurity Emergency Determination, and in particular the tight sole-purpose provisions.

 

I have downloaded and activated the COVIDSafe app to my smartphone, and encourage you, your family, colleagues and patients to do so too.

 

COVID-19 case testing

 

All jurisdictions are moving to expand COVID-19 testing criteria to include any person with fever or any acute respiratory symptoms. State and territory leaders have set ambitious targets to identify community transmission in the next two weeks prior to review of current restrictions. This testing expansion will also include some targeted testing of asymptomatic adults, including health care professionals and other frontline health professionals.

 

Out of stock medicines: TGA’s therapeutic substitution fails patients

 

It is with disappointment that I update you on the TGA’s published model of therapeutic substitution. The initiative was intended relieve pressure on doctors and pharmacists and allow patients to maintain ongoing therapy of their essential medicines without delay during an out-of-stock situation through strength and form substitution of the prescribed medicine.

 

The TGA’s website describes the intent of the initiative:

 

“The changes will allow a pharmacist to dispense different strengths of a product (such as two 20 mg tablets in place of a 40 mg tablet) or a different dose form of the same medicine (such as a capsule instead of a tablet). It will also allow a medicine that is prescribed as an extended/sustained release medicine to be substituted for an immediate release medicine, or vice versa.

 

Substitution of a medicine with another product containing a different active ingredient is not considered.”

 

 

However, simple in its intent, the initiative is anything but.

 

In order for the substitution to be permitted the TGA will need to publish a Serious Shortage Substitution Notice on their website to advise what substitutions are and are not permitted. This will selectively be applied to some (not all) medicines on the TGA national medicines shortages list and most likely take significant time to produce.

 

Arrangements for supply of substituted medicines under the PBS has not yet been announced, but PSA understands this too will not be automatic and require a separate manual process. Additionally, changes and clarification of state regulations show implementation will further be limited by red tape, such as the requirement in NSW for gazettal of the substitution notice by the Secretary.

 

This system will not work. It is too complex, too slow, and won’t be invoked for the majority of medicine shortages our supply chains experience. Put simply, it will not achieve its intended benefit of maintaining therapy for patients and taking pressure off doctors and pharmacists.

 

This is not the model PSA supported and took to the TGA Medicine Shortages Working Group. PSA cannot support the need for the TGA to publish a notice before allowing pharmacists to substitute medicines, particularly straightforward substitutions such as the dose and quantity of a tablet. It is not in the public interest. It is not in the profession’s interest.

 

Pharmacists are highly skilled medicine experts and competent to make such substitutions. You don’t need a substitution notice to safely support a patient by substituting 30 x 60mg tablets with 60 x 30mg tablets.

 

I have written to the TGA as a matter of urgency to seek a more workable solution to the increasing challenge of medicine shortages in Australia. I will keep you informed of any progress on this issue.

 

At this point, if you have medicines shortages problems that you believe could be addressed through therapeutic substitution, I urge you to contact the TGA on (02) 6232 8644 to request they issue a serious shortages medicines notice.

 

Digital image prescriptions

 

Digital image prescriptions continue to cause confusion and headaches for you. Nowhere more so than in Queensland, which remains an outlier in failing to introduce enabling regulation for digital image prescriptions.

 

Through social media and our membership team, you and your colleagues have sought advice and clarification as to how this measure applies to your practice in your location. To share these answers, the PSA’s COVID-19 microsite has been updated multiple times in the past week in response to the questions you, our members, have asked. The microsite has also been updated to include more FAQs and state and territory clarity provided to PSA’s team around Australia from state health departments.

 

I urge you to bookmark this page and refer to it regularly.

 

Vaccination

 

As the world grapples without a vaccine for COVID-19, World Immunisation Week (24-30 April) is a timely reminder of the power and importance of vaccination. This year’s theme, #VaccinesWork for All focuses on how vaccines – and the people who develop, deliver and receive them – are heroes by working to protect the health of everyone, everywhere.

 

It comes at a time when community response to COVID-19 related Stay-at-Home requirements potentially places Australians, particularly children, at risk from missed or delayed scheduled vaccination. This is particularly the case for influenza vaccination where stock availability is currently hampering vaccination against seasonal influenza and community awareness of recommendations for children is low.

 

In good news, as discussed last week, additional private market stock of seasonal influenza vaccines is expected in coming weeks.

 

Physical distancing is our new-normal

 

Physical distancing and Stay at Home directives, now aided through tools to accelerate contact tracing, are our best tools to suppress the transmission of COVID-19. Physical distancing will be our normal until such time as alternate prevention measures, such as a vaccine, exist.

 

Normalising physical distancing requirements will require consolidation of some short-term adjustments into long-term adjustments. You should consider how you can consolidate some of the physical distancing changes you have made into sustainable medium-term adjustments, such as:

  • Bedding down delivery and contact-free supply and consultation service options for people over 70 years who should be self-isolating at home and for people who are unwell
  • Demonstrating and actively encouraging physical distancing in the pharmacy
  • Continuing working towards integration of digital initiatives into your practise such as electronic prescriptions, My Health Record, real-time prescription monitoring and telehealth

 

Respecting frontline workers

 

Yesterday, Queensland became the latest state to introduce new penalties for assault and abuse of frontline health workers, including pharmacists. Under the public health order, anyone who deliberately coughs, sneezes or spits on emergency or essential workers faces $1300 fine or a penalty of up to $13,000 if the matter goes to court. I welcome this measure which follows WA and NSW introducing similar penalties and PSA’s written request to each premier and chief minister to do more to protect pharmacists from abuse and violence.

 

On your behalf, I have written to every state premier and territory chief minister to ask them to protect our pharmacists during these uncertain times. Its pleasing to see a number of states responding to these calls.

 

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacists

 

As I’ve written previously, COVID-19 is having a big impact on your physical and mental well-being. Stressors such as patient abuse, aggression, workload and seismic workplace changes have had led to fatigue, anxiety and untold stress.

 

Learning more about these impacts is extremely important to help inform government and support you, the profession. I am therefore pleased to see Claire O’Reilly FPS (U.Syd) and Karlee Johnston (ANU) are undertaking research to understand how working as a pharmacist during this frightening and uncertain period has affecting the wellbeing of our profession.

 

I strongly encourage you to participate in the survey as it is essential to have input and data from as many of you as possible in this research to better understand the effect of the pandemic on the profession, and to evaluate this over the duration of the outbreak.

 

It doesn’t matter where you work, or how many hours you work, your experience is important. The survey will be sent out every 2 months for the next 12 months and the research team would appreciate your input in as many of those surveys as possible. Please feel free disseminate the survey link and encourage your pharmacist friends to complete it.

Complete Survey

Weekly webinar: COVID-19 and technology

 

Last Wednesday, PSA’s Jarrod McMaugh spoke with a person living with Hepatitis C regarding their experience living with the condition, and the stigma they have faced. It was a candid, compelling and valuable insight into the reality of living with the disease. The webinar will be available via the PSA website shortly I encourage all members who weren’t able to join last Wednesday to watch.

 

This week’s webinar will focus on COVID-19 and telehealth, particularly the follow-up services that have been announced for HMRs and RMMRs COVID-19 has driven uptake of telehealth much faster than anticipated, including the recent announcement by the Government that pharmacists can deliver HMRs, RMMRs and MedsChecks to eligible patients via telehealth.

 

On Wednesday night, I’ll be discussing the latest updates on telehealth, what it means for pharmacists, and what PSA is doing to support you through these significant changes to your daily practice.

 

The webinar will be at 7.30PM EST Wednesday night. Register here.

Register here

Stay up-to-date

 

Our dedicated COVID-19 website has seen record traffic in the last week as members sought advice and support from the new ‘summary of regulatory changes’ page. This page has been updated multiple times each day to incorporate more FAQs on the questions you and your colleagues are asking via the member support team and on social media. You can also view videos in which I speak about some of the most pressing issues affecting you.

Changes to Medicine Review Services

Digital Image Prescribing

Your PSA team are working hard to keep you informed and support you during the pandemic. Keep feeding back the issues and concerns which you are working through to help us help you. Please contact us at membership@psa.org.au.

 

Sincerely,

Associate Professor Chris Freeman

National President

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia

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In the spirit of reconciliation, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were our first pharmacists.

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