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Pharmacist Accreditation

About Accreditation

PSA is the natural home for accredited pharmacists and will be offering a full Accreditation Credentialling Program from 2023 following the closure of the Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy (AACP). PSA will also offer a complete package of support and ongoing training for accredited pharmacists and those looking to become accredited, alongside this credentialling program.

 

PSA has a strong vision for the future of accreditation and we want to see accreditation become a major career pathway for pharmacists. We will continue to advocate for accredited pharmacists.

 

While we are still awaiting confirmation from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care regarding the new program rules for accredited pharmacists, we will keep you informed of developments as we learn more.

 

If you are interested in becoming an accredited pharmacist, click the button to enrol.

Important updates for Accreditation

Wednesday 6 September 2023

 

PSA is pleased to announce that we have submitted a Notification of Intent to advise the APC that we are undergoing accreditation against the Accreditation Standards for Pharmacist Educator Programs for MMR and Aged Care Onsite Pharmacist credential.

 

The process from here is that we need to submit application documentation and have our application assessed.  The findings then need to go to an accreditation committee to be considered.  This isn’t a rapid process, but we wanted to assure you that we are progressing as rapidly as we can and will provide updates as they are available.

 

 

 

Friday 5 May 2023

 

PSA is continuing to provide accredited pharmacists with access to the accreditation resources.

 

On Friday 5 May 2023, David Laffan, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Health and Aged Care announced that all MRNs will be extended until either new standards for training providers are finalised or 30 June 2024.

 

This extension is designed to further support accredited pharmacists through this transition phase following the closure of the AACP on 31 December 2022.

 

The MRN is your identifier within the system for payment for MMRs. With the closure of the AACP it is anticipated that new identifiers will be used, and all accredited pharmacists will be advised regarding changes.

 

Your MRN will remain valid within the Pharmacy Programs Administrator Portal. This will ensure currently Accredited Pharmacists can continue to utilise their existing AACP Accreditation to provide services and to be remunerated for them.

 

It should be noted that there are no planned changes to the current HMR and RMMR program rules at this time and that these medication management programs will continue to be funded.

 

PSA is waiting on further advice from the Department and will advise accredited pharmacists as soon as additional information is available..

 

 

Recent update

 

The Department of Health and Aged Care has directed, via the Pharmacy Programs Administrator (PPA) that all AACP MRNs will only remain valid until 30 June 2023.

 

The MRN is your identifier within the system for payment for MMRs. With the closure of the AACP it is anticipated that new identifiers will be used from 1 July 2023 and all accredited pharmacists will be advised regarding changes prior to 1 July 2023.

 

PSA is waiting on further advice from the Department and will advise accredited pharmacists as soon as information is available, but should new MRNs need to be created, your member number will be the basis for the new number.

 

New MMR consent forms

 

Revised consent forms are now available from the PPA website

 

The HMR and RMMR patient consent forms were updated on 1 January 2023 to remove verbal consent. This was in line with the removal of telehealth services, essentially returning the programs to pre-pandemic rules.

 

This was the only change to the consent forms.

 

Note that consent for RMMR services can be verbal in limited scenarios.

 

Apologies for the delay in PSA communicating this as this change occurred during the transition time following the closure of the AACP in December 2022.

 

PSA has been advised that if, during compliance activities, the PPA identify any services where verbal consent has been obtained using the old patient consent form during the first 3 months following the cessation of telehealth, they will take an educative rather than punitive approach (providing there are no other issues found).

 

Please note this educative approach doesn’t extend to any claims where PPA finds the service itself was conducted via telehealth post 1 January 2023, as every Service Provider registered in the Portal for HMR/RMMR was advised in advance via email, as an update on the PPA website and on the PPA Portal log-in page that telehealth was ceasing on 1 January 2023.

Awards

PSA will be awarding an Accredited Pharmacist of the Year to be announced at CPC24.

Nominations will open in early 2024. 

Consultant Pharmacists Conference 2024 (CPC24)

image of CPC24 webtile

Join your fellow Consultant Pharmacist’s at PSA’s CPC24 on 3-5 May 2024 at the Cairns Pullman Hotel, Queensland.

 

Receive up to 50% discount on registration fees to PSA’s dedicated CPC24, (available for $399, usually $795) if you are a PSA Professional Plus Member. Click the button below to join our Professional Plus membership and enjoy the many benefits.

 

If you’re already a PSA member and would like to upgrade or renew your membership to Professional Plus, please contact our friendly membership team on 1300 369 772 or at membership@psa.org.au for the assistance.

CPD Catalogue

To view our large range of CPD courses, click on the View CPD catalogue button (below).

  • Scroll down to “Select a role”
  • Select “Medication Management Review Pharmacist”
  • Choose from our wide range of courses.

FAQs

Why did PSA/PGA make the decision to close AACP?

PSA continues to endorse measures that would decrease entry barriers to accreditation – such as by increasing competition of providers and by increasing government-funded accreditation places.

PGA has publicly advocated to remove the requirement of accreditation to claim for HMR/RMMR funding. PSA does not support this position.

Why weren’t we consulted on these changes?

There was written agreement between the AACP, PSA and PGA to make the announcement only after the agreement was signed.

Does PSA/PGA want to abolish accreditation?

PSA strongly supports retaining pharmacist accreditation and has a strong vision for accreditation to become a major career pathway for pharmacists. Accreditation is an important step to assure patients, aged care providers, GPs and funders that pharmacists are competent to conduct comprehensive medication reviews.  PSA acknowledges the need for pharmacists to develop and maintain the skills attained during accreditation to be a minimum required for activities like RMMRs and HMRs.

What does this mean for those currently accredited?

We are waiting on a final decision from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care on what requirements will exist for reaccreditation, we anticipate you will need to be a member of an accrediting body so recommend you become/remain a PSA member so that you have access to tools, support and ongoing education.

 

PSA is providing all accredited pharmacists with access to our accreditation resources until 1 April 2023 as part of these transition arrangements. Join PSA as a Professional Plus Member to maintain access to PSA’s accreditation resources beyond 1 April 2023. By choosing PSA as your preferred accreditation provider, you will also receive a 50% discount on registration for our PSA Consultant Pharmacist Conference, being held in Adelaide in May 2023 (usually $795, now $395.50).

What does this mean for the standard for accreditation?

The program rules that set the standard for accreditation are determined by the Commonwealth Department of Health. PSA is advocating for this standard to be maintained and has a strong view that quality of care needs to be improved. The Department and other stakeholders have accepted there may be other organisations that want to offer accreditation, and that the program rules should enable this. PSA, as a joint owner of AACP, will continue fighting to protect AACP’s legacy.

What does this mean for those currently undertaking AACP accreditation?

Pharmacists already undertaking accreditation credentialling with AACP can continue to do so until AACP ceases operations at the end of 2022. From 1 Jan 2023, these pharmacists can continue to complete their accreditation credentialling with PSA.  The AACP have sent an email to all pharmacists undergoing accreditation, you will need to reply to this with your choice of future provider.

 

The AACP have sent an email to all pharmacists undergoing accreditation, if you have already replied to the email with your choice of future provider as PSA,  PSA had received your contact information. We are waiting for the data of the study results from AACP. We will send you an email with further updates in late Jan 2023.

What does this mean for those looking to undertake accreditation in the future?

If you have not started the credentialling process, we encourage you to enroll in Stage 1 with PSA. Once complete you may continue to Stage 2.

If you have already completed Stage 1, you may enroll in Stage 2 with PSA from 1 January 2023.

Will I need to become a PSA member if I am already undertaking accreditation or want to remain accredited?

PSA is awaiting confirmation from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care regarding whether accredited pharmacists will be required to be a member of an accrediting body. PSA believes membership should not be compulsory and is advocating for that position.

 

The Department of Health and Aged Care has advised they will implement a transition period whereby the AACP MRNs that are valid as of 31 December 2022, will remain valid until 30 June 2023 within the Pharmacy Programs Administrator Portal. This will ensure currently Accredited Pharmacists can continue to utilise their existing AACP Accreditation to provide services. The Department will continue to consult regarding future arrangements in February 2023.

How much will accreditation and reaccreditation cost?

PSA will not charge reaccreditation fees. For the current pricing, visit here.

Why is accreditation important?

PSA acknowledges that all pharmacists are medicine experts and are trained to counsel, support and provide care for patients. Quality training of pharmacists in medication knowledge, communication, and counselling equips pharmacists with additional skills to provide high quality, complex medication review services through collaborative care models with other health care providers. Accreditation provides opportunity for career pathways and progression, a key pillar of PSA’s ongoing advocacy for roles, remuneration and recognition of pharmacists. PSA acknowledges the need to reduce the financial barrier to reaccreditation and is committed to advocating for higher quality training and support.