Exceptional SA and NT pharmacists honoured

Tuesday 5 March 2019

 

Respected pharmacist Dr Danny Tsai received the SA/NT Pharmacist of the Year Award at the Annual Celebration of Excellence in Pharmacy hosted by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) tonight.

 

Minister for Industry and Skills The Hon David Pisoni MP presented the award to Dr Tsai at Veale Gardens in Adelaide.

 

Veronika Seda won the SA/NT Early Career Pharmacist Development Award, while Karissa Searle was presented with the 2017 PSA Gold Medal and Wala Hamid Haj Ali with the 2018 Gold Medal.

 

PSA SA/NT President Robyn Johns congratulated Dr Tsai and commended his significant contribution to the safe and effective use of medicines in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and for improving clinical pharmacy services in Central Australia.

 

Dr Tsai is the inaugural Antimicrobial Stewardship pharmacist at the Alice Springs Hospital and his current research interests include investigating the demographics and bacteriology of severe community acquired pneumonia in Central Australia.

 

“Not only is Danny a terrific mentor for early career pharmacists, he also supports student placements in Alice Springs and contributes to ongoing education for health professionals working in remote areas,” said Ms Johns.

 

Ms Seda is the Chair of the SA/NT Early Career Working Group and a project pharmacist with the Adelaide Respiratory Health Project through Asthma Australia and the Lung Foundation.

 

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman presented Ms Seda with the Early Career Pharmacist Development Award for raising practice standards and providing a model of practice for her fellow Early Career Pharmacists.

 

“Veronika has a passion for pharmacist communication and is currently a PhD candidate working on a sustainable model for professional services in community pharmacy,” Dr Freeman said.

 

Emeritus Professor Lloyd Sansom AO presented Ms Searle and Ms Ali with the PSA Gold Medal for achieving the highest grade point average in the Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of South Australia.

 

Ms Searle is a pharmacy intern at Terry White Chemmart Golden Grove and recently started work at Angaston Pharmacy. Ms Ali is currently completing her internship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

 

PSA also named pharmacists Dr Jacinta Johnson and Dr Rose Allin Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society (FPS) for achieving the highest level of Advanced Practice credentialing.

 

Emeritus Professor Andrew Gilbert was awarded PSA Life Fellowship and Mrs Heather Simpson Life Membership for their significant contributions to the profession.

 

Prof Gilbert’s research and consultancy work in medicines policy and health practice change are internationally respected.

 

Mrs Simpson worked at the Kings Park Pharmacy for 30 years, has locumed in rural SA and Western Victoria and dedicates a day a week towards Home Medicines Reviews.

 

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

 

Workshops to help pharmacists make the most of My Health Record

Monday 4 March 2019

Pharmacists are invited to participate in a series of free interactive workshops designed to help them get the most out of My Health Record as a tool to support better patient care and health outcomes.

9 out of 10 Australians now have a My Health Record and approximately 15,460 healthcare providers are registered to use the system.

About 84% of community pharmacies are registered for My Health Record — and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Australian Digital Health Agency are committed to supporting pharmacists with training as they learn to use the system.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman said the workshops aligned with one of the key actions identified in PSA’s recent Pharmacists in 2023 report to make full use of pharmacists’ skills and improve the health of all Australians: Embrace digital transformation to improve the quality use of medicines; support the delivery of safe, effective, and efficient healthcare; and facilitate collaborative models of care.

“Pharmacists in 2023 states there is a strong need for technological improvement in pharmacist care,” Dr Freeman said.

“That’s why we identified technology as a key enabler that will support pharmacists in 2023 to be more responsible and accountable for medicines safety.

“These workshops will give pharmacists who are unfamiliar with the system the confidence to use My Health Record — and to communicate more effectively with other health professionals so they can deliver more coordinated care.

“At the end of the day, up-skilling pharmacists in the use of My Health Record will deliver better health outcomes and empower consumers through greater access to information.”

Pharmacists are invited to attend the Overcoming barriers to My Health Record implementation in pharmacy workshops between March and May 2019 to engage with Digital Health Leaders and explore how to implement and use the My Health Record effectively in their pharmacy.

Specialist workshops for accredited pharmacists to explore how to connect with My Health Record and embed it in their regular practice will also be provided.

Pharmacists can register online for the Overcoming barriers to My Health Record implementation in pharmacy workshops or the My Health Record for Accredited Pharmacists workshops, or call 1300 369 772 for more information.

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Pharmacists will do more to improve the health of all Australians

February 13, 2019

In 2023 pharmacists will be the custodians of medicine safety, embedded wherever medicines are used, and more responsible and accountable for the safe and effective use of medicines, a new report reveals.

Pharmacists in 2023: For patients, for our profession, for Australia’s health system, developed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), reveals the 11 system changes needed for healthcare evolution to deliver safety and quality improvements in the use of medicines, and better use of pharmacists to improve access to healthcare.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman launched the report today at a breakfast event in Parliament House attended by political leaders and pharmacy experts from across the country.

“Pharmacists in 2023 is the pharmacy profession’s response to the national medicine safety problem,” Dr Freeman said. “The report unlocks the potential for pharmacists to improve healthcare access and outcomes for Australians and reduce variability in care.”

PSA recently showed in its Medicine Safety: Take Care report that 250,000 people are admitted to hospital each year as a result of medicine-related problems, costing the Australian health system $1.4 billion per annum.

“Medicine safety should be a national priority. The report identifies the key actions needed to address this issue by unlocking more opportunities for pharmacists as the guardians of medicine safety.

“Pharmacists must be empowered to do more than the current system allows them to do. As the only health professionals trained with a specific focus on the effective and safe use of medicines, pharmacists must lead a culture change to embed medicine safety at every point of healthcare delivery.

“Rather than gazing into a crystal ball, we have laid out an ambitious agenda for change with tangible and practical actions to support all pharmacists to reach their full potential and provide more effective and efficient healthcare.

“All of the actions in Pharmacists in 2023 aim to ensure pharmacists practise to the full extent of their expertise, are recognised for their key role in healthcare and are remunerated appropriately.

“Our goal is to ensure any Australian, no matter where they live, can receive the best possible care from a pharmacist, and that pharmacists are supported to address their patients’ needs using the full extent of their training and expertise.”

The report is the result of two years of consultation with a wide range of pharmacy, consumer and health stakeholders.

For pharmacists in 2023 to address the health needs of all Australians, the report identifies 11 actions for change:

1. Empower and expect all pharmacists to be more responsible and accountable for medicine safety.
2. Enhance the role of community pharmacists to have a greater level of responsibility and accountability for medicines management.
3. Embed pharmacists within healthcare teams to improve decision making for the safe and effective use of medicines.
4. Facilitate pharmacist prescribing within a collaborative care model.
5. Improve pharmacist stewardship of medicine management to improve outcomes at transitions of care.
6. Utilise and build upon the accessibility of community pharmacies in primary care to improve consumer access to health services.
7. Equip the pharmacist workforce, through practitioner development, to address Australia’s existing and emerging health challenges.
8. Establish additional funding models to recognise the value and quality of pharmacist care.
9. Allow greater flexibility in funding and delivery of pharmacist care to innovate and adapt to the unique patient needs in regional, rural and remote areas.
10. Develop and maintain a research culture across the pharmacist profession to ensure a robust evidence base for existing and future pharmacist programs.
11. Embrace digital transformation to improve the quality use of medicines; support the delivery of safe, effective, and efficient healthcare; and facilitate collaborative models of care.

Dr Freeman said, “I now look forward to working with pharmacy leaders, other healthcare groups, consumers and government to advance the role of pharmacists in 2023 – for patients, for our profession and for Australia’s health system.”

Read Pharmacists in 2023

Media contact:
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Recommendations a major step forward for medicine safety

Thursday 7 February, 2019

The recommendation to add pharmacists to the list of eligible allied health professionals to access Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for medication management services for patients with complex care requirements is an important investment in the safe and effective use of medicines, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) said today.

The Allied Health Reference Group of the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Taskforce has released a consultation document with a recommendation to establish an item to allow pharmacists to provide medication management services to patients with complex care requirements.

PSA National President Dr Chris Freeman said this recommendation, along with those made by the General Practice and Primary Care Clinical Committee to remunerate non-doctor health professionals to participate in case conferencing, will go a long way in supporting pharmacists to be better integrated with other healthcare providers in primary care.

“We have known for a long time that there are financial and structural impediments to pharmacist involvement in case conferencing, and these recommended changes will help overcome those barriers,” Dr Freeman said.

“These recommendations are a major leap forward, empowering pharmacists to practise to the full extent of their expertise and provide the best possible care for their patients.

“The recommendations could not be more timely, following on from PSA’s Medicine Safety report that revealed the extent of harms caused by medicines misuse in Australia and highlighted the need for pharmacists to be embedded wherever medicines are used.

“PSA has advocated over many years to diversify remuneration to reflect pharmacists’ extensive expertise and contribution to Australia’s health. Pharmacists have been calling for access to the MBS to reflect their skills, training and experience for longer than many of us can remember.

“PSA has advocated for pharmacists to be included in the list of eligible allied health practitioners and we have delivered this positive recommendation.

“In our 2019-20 Pre-budget submission we urged the Government to add pharmacists to the list of eligible allied health professionals that can deliver MBS services to patients with chronic diseases under the allied health chronic disease management items. We have now made this a reality.

“The MBS is a key funding mechanism to support innovative and collaborative models of care for chronic disease and complex conditions. We are delighted that both the Allied Health Reference Group and the General Practice and Primary Care Clinical Committees have listened to PSA and recommended allowing pharmacists to access these MBS items.

“Pharmacists should be able to deliver these services from any setting, including general practice, aboriginal health services and community pharmacies. This is about the right pharmacist, with the right skill set at the right time working as part of a multidisciplinary collaborative team.

“This is an innovative and cost-effective solution to address challenges in the health system and reduce harm caused by medicines.”

PSA’s Pre-budget submission also called for continued funding for integrating pharmacists in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to improve chronic disease management.

In line with PSA’s recommendation, the Reference Group has recommended building and investing in an allied health research base to support evidence-based strategies for integrated or collaborative approaches to chronic disease management.

“This will help address health inequalities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and rural and remote communities,” Dr Freeman said.

“We are excited that our advocacy is unlocking opportunities for pharmacists to realise their full potential. We look forward to working with the committees involved in the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review as they undertake their consultation on these recommendations, and finally when they will be presented to the Minister for Health.

“We also look forward to the Minister for Health making these recommendations a reality after the consultation process has been finalised to ensure pharmacists can do more with medicines for more Australians.”

Media contact: 
Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer 
0487 922 176