Queensland inquiry recommendations support important role of pharmacists

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes recommendations made by the Inquiry into the establishment of a pharmacy council and pharmacy ownership in Queensland – a move in the right direction for pharmacists practising to their full scope, and for maintaining the strong pharmacy ownership structure that has served the Queensland public well.

 

PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson said PSA welcomes the Committee’s recommendation to support current provisions relating to the ownership of pharmacies by pharmacists in Queensland.

 

“The current pharmacy ownership system supports patient safety and helps maintain public confidence in high-quality pharmacy services being provided in Queensland,” Dr Jackson said.

 

PSA Acting Queensland President Chris Campbell said, “We welcome the Committee’s recommendation that the Department of Health lower the minimum patient age requirement for pharmacist-administered vaccinations to 16 years of age.

 

“The success of the Queensland Pharmacist Immunisation Pilot (QPIP), which led to pharmacists being able to vaccinate across Australia, has seen significant community health benefits including improved accessibility, patient satisfaction and lower out-of-pockets costs for patients.

 

“PSA also welcomes the recommendation for pharmacists to dispense emergency and repeat prescriptions, and that any change in pharmacists’ scope of practice should be underpinned by appropriate credentialing and training.

 

“The above recommendations are a step in the right direction but there are still more opportunities to take advantage of pharmacists’ unique expertise to better support the health of all Queenslanders.

 

“Pharmacists are one of the most trusted and accessible health professionals in Queensland, but their skills have not been put to full use because legislation hinders some areas of practice.”

 

PSA embraces the recommendation to establish a pharmacy advisory council containing a diverse range of members to provide expert advice to the Department of Health. We also agree with the recommendation from the Auditor-General that the Department of Health should strengthen processes and controls to ensure pharmacy ownership complies with the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001.

 

PSA, as the peak professional body for pharmacists representing all of Queensland’s 5,800 Queensland pharmacists, looks forward to working with the Department of Health and the Queensland Government to continue making the most of the skills and expertise of pharmacists to provide the best healthcare for Queenslanders.

 

-ENDS-

Media contact:

Jarryd Luke

Senior Communications Officer

0487 922 176

Nationally consistent approach to pharmacist administered vaccinations will improve access for all Australians

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council’s decision to establish a working group to consider a nationally consistent approach to pharmacist administered vaccinations.

 

PSA President Dr Shane Jackson said, “We applaud the Health Council’s initiative to build on the success of pharmacist vaccinations.

 

“Research has shown internationally and locally that pharmacists are considered highly accessible and they can boost vaccination rates, contributing to a reduced burden on our already over-burdened healthcare system.”

 

A national approach to pharmacist administered vaccination will reduce confusion, ensure better access for patients to quality vaccination services and utilise the pharmacy workforce appropriately.

 

“Regulation of pharmacist immunisers varies from state to state. It doesn’t make sense that pharmacists can only vaccinate for meningococcal disease in Tasmania and pertussis in some states such as South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.”

 

Pharmacists have provided vaccinations since 2014, and across all states and territories since 2016, leading to increased vaccination rates, including many people being vaccinated for the first time. Independent research commissioned by PSA has revealed almost two-in-three Australians believe pharmacists should be able to administer a broader range of vaccinations.

 

PSA has consistently called for:

 

• equitable access for consumers to a wider range of pharmacist administered vaccines across all States and Territories;
• consistent regulation of pharmacist immunisers across all States and Territories;
• increased consumer access to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for all vaccines permitted to be administered by pharmacist immunisers in all States and Territories;
• enhanced recognition of the role of pharmacist immunisers and the evidence-based benefits they provide to consumers, the health system, and to public health; and,
• incorporation of pharmacist immunisers in Commonwealth and State/Territory immunisation campaigns, particularly the annual influenza immunisation campaign.

 

COAG Health Council has tasked the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee to establish a working group which will consider and recommend options for a nationally consistent approach for pharmacist administered vaccinations.

 

“We look forward to working with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on this muchneeded initiative,” Dr Jackson said.

 

Media contact:

Jarryd Luke, Senior Communications Officer

0487 922 176

Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes Trial Program training modules now available

Community pharmacy’s involvement in the Health Care Homes trial, agreed to last year under the Pharmacy Compact as The Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes Trial Program, presents an opportunity for community pharmacists to expand their involvement in coordinated and integrated care which is tailored to patient needs.

 

Training modules for the Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes Trial Program (Trial Program) are now available on the Pharmacy Guild’s GuildEd learning platform and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s (PSA) 6CPA Resource Hub. This series of modules have been developed collaboratively by the PSA and the Pharmacy Guild.

 

The training modules are tailored for pharmacies involved in the Trial Program, which is an interprofessional collaboration initiative funded under the 6th Community Pharmacy Agreement.

 

Pharmacies involved in the Trial Program will work in collaboration with general practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to deliver patient-centred medication management services to patients with chronic or complex health needs.

 

The training package of 10 modules underpin the Trial Program’s aim to allow greater integration of community pharmacy into the healthcare team. One module has been specifically designed to assist pharmacy assistants in their role of helping to implement and deliver the trial program to enrolled patients.

 

The CPD accredited modules are:

• Preparing your pharmacy for the Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes Trial Program
• Delivering the Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes Trial Program
• Health Care Homes in practice
• Developing a Medication Management Plan
• Implementing and reviewing a Medication Management Plan
• Team-based health care
• Enhanced communication for a new model of care
• Embracing a new approach to community pharmacy practice
• Patient journeys
• Health Care Homes: what pharmacy assistants need to know

 

PSA has also developed Guidelines for pharmacists participating in the Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes Trial Program to support effective implementation by pharmacists.

 

For more information on the training modules, contact either the Guild on (03) 9810 9930 or email learninganddevelopment@guild.org.au or PSA on 1300 369 772 or visit https://my.psa.org.au/s/article/Health-Care-Homes-Trial-Program.

 

More information on the Community Pharmacy in Health Care Homes trial program is available on the 6CPA website or please call the 6CPA helpline on 1300 555 262 or email healthcarehomes@6cpa.com.au.

 

-ENDS –

Media contacts:
PSA: Jarryd Luke 0487 922 176
Guild: Greg Turnbull 0412 910 261

PSA welcomes Royal Commission’s inclusion of medication management

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), the peak national body for pharmacists in Australia, welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement that medication management will be part of the Terms of Reference for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

 

The Royal Commission will inquire into all aspects of the quality and safety of care in all forms of Commonwealth-funded aged care services, including medication management.

 

PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson said, “We welcome the Royal Commission’s commitment to investigate medication management in aged care, which has been a concern for many years.

 

“Medicines are complex and medication errors cost Australia more than $1.2 billion annually.

 

“PSA believes clearly defining the roles and utilising the expertise of pharmacists in aged care facilities would ensure appropriate prescribing, a reduction in medication errors, and clinical, operational and economic benefits through the safe and optimal use of medicines.”

 

In its contribution to the Terms of Reference, PSA urged the Government to ensure the Royal Commission examines the extent of suboptimal medication management in aged care, particularly the use/overuse of antipsychotics, sedatives and antimicrobials, and determine interventions and opportunities to address this to ensure safe and effective medication treatment.

 

PSA also suggested the Terms of Reference include how requirements of the Aged-Care Quality Standards and related guidelines relating to medicines management are being met in residential aged care facilities, and whether the principles of the Government’s Quality Use of Medicine strategy are currently being met within aged care.

 

PSA looks forward to seeing the Royal Commission’s interim report on 31 October 2018 and the final report in April 2020.

 

-ENDS-

Media contact:   

Jarryd Luke
Senior Communications Officer
0487 922 176

Updated guidelines released on absence from work certificates

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have released the updated Absence from Work Certificates Guidelines for Pharmacists to assist community pharmacists who provide this service for people in their community.

 

Originally developed by PSA and the Guild in 2008 and revised in 2011, the guidelines have been further updated to provide greater clarity and guidance for pharmacists.

 

The 2018 guidelines re-iterate that a pharmacist must define their own scope of practice as stipulated by the Pharmacy Board of Australia and consider issuing certificates within this scope of practice.

 

PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson said the updated guidelines provide further guidance on the framework pharmacists should work within when providing these certificates. “They offer pharmacists clarity on duration of document storage, number of days to issue certificates, and how to handle non-face-to-face requests for certificates,” Dr Jackson said.

 

The National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, George Tambassis, said: “More and more people in the community are becoming aware of the availability of absence from work certificates provided
by their local community pharmacist, so it is very timely that the guidelines have been updated so that pharmacists can refresh their understanding of the scope of this service.”

 

The guidelines feature updated terminology and references, as well as a sample information sheet about this service, highlighting that the responsibility lies with the employee to check with their employer about
accepting a certificate from a pharmacist.

 

-ENDS-

 

Media contact:

Jarryd Luke

Senior Communications Officer

SafeScript to combat medicine misuse

PSA welcomes the launch of Victoria’s real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) program
SafeScript to help tackle rising prescription-drug related deaths.

 

SafeScript will automatically transmit pharmacies’ prescription records for high-risk medicines to a
centralised database. It will use these records to send notifications to prescribers and pharmacists
when they need to review a patient’s history.

 

PSA Victoria President Benjamin Marchant, who is also a member of the SafeScript Advisory
Group, said PSA played a central role in advocating for the system.

 

“SafeScript is Victoria’s first mandatory clinical decision support system to combat pharmaceutical
misuse,” Mr Marchant said.

 

“We are grateful for the government’s initiative to support pharmacists and prescribers to improve
quality of care and ultimately reduce overdose deaths related to opioids.”

 

SafeScript will monitor all Schedule 8 medicines and Schedule 4 benzodiazepines, z-drugs and
quetiapine.

 

After the launch of SafeScript at Ballarat Base Hospital yesterday by the Victorian Health Minister
Jill Hennessy, SafeScript starts in Western Victoria Primary Health Network today and will be
implemented across Victoria by early next year.

-ENDS-

 

Media contact:

Jarryd Luke

Senior Communications Officer

 

World Pharmacists Day celebrates medicines expertise

This year’s World Pharmacists Day on Tuesday 25 September highlights the many ways pharmacists improve public health in addition to dispensing medicines.

 

An initiative of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), World Pharmacists Day explores the theme of “Pharmacists: Your medicines experts and so much more.”

 

FIP President Dr Carmen Peña said the day celebrates “the extensive expertise that pharmacists have and put to use every day to ensure better patient health. This expertise is applied through science and research, through educating the next generation, and through transforming patient needs into services.”

 

PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson said Australia is missing out on the opportunity for pharmacists to do more with medicines by confining them largely to the dispensing of medicines.

 

Pharmacists, especially those in community pharmacy, want to have a suite of services available to them to be able to assist the patient in medication management.

 

“PSA wants to see pharmacists applying all of the knowledge and skills from their years of training in contemporary and innovative ways,” Dr Jackson said. “That’s why PSA is working on the Pharmacists in 2023 Action Plan – to empower pharmacists to apply their unique medicines expertise for the greater benefit of their patients.”

 

In a statement to the House of Representatives on Thursday 20 September, Member for Dobell and pharmacist Emma McBride MP said, “I am pleased to support this day emphasising our role as trusted sources of knowledge and advice for not only patients but other healthcare professionals. With medicine now the No. 1 intervention in primary care, it’s appropriate that pharmacists play a role in
managing medication use over the long term.”

 

Ms McBride will visit an atrial fibrillation (AF) screening site at the Westfield Tuggerah main entrance from 10.30am to 12.30pm on World Pharmacists Day to celebrate the role of pharmacists.

 

PSA General Manager, Policy and Advocacy Belinda Wood said, “We know better health outcomes result from embedding pharmacists wherever medicines are used. But if we think in addition to dispensing medicines, we can unlock opportunities for better healthcare by equipping pharmacists to enhance community access to health services.”

 

As the peak national body for pharmacists, PSA is hosting a range of events across Australia, inviting consumers to talk with their pharmacist about medication management, vaccinations, health services and screening.

 

In particular, given the recent publication by hearts4heart of new AF guidelines, PSA and hearts4heart have organised for more than 20 sites across NSW, Victoria and Queensland to provide blood pressure and AF screenings to start conversations with people about their medications and refer them to their GP where appropriate.

-ENDS-

 

Media contact:

Jarryd Luke

Senior Communications Officer

0487 922 176

Pharmacists welcome Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), the peak national body for pharmacists in Australia, welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of their intention to launch a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

 

The Royal Commission is expected to investigate quality of care in private and government-run aged care facilities following the exposure of cases of neglect, elder abuse and other concerns.

 

“Inappropriate use of medication in aged care has been a concern for many years,” said PSA National President Dr Shane Jackson.

 

“We’ve seen reports that indicate over 50% of residents in some aged care facilities are receiving sedative type medications, have suboptimal pain control, and are taking medications that are no longer necessary. Crushing of medications puts residents at greater risk of side effects, including falls.”

 

The ABC’s Four Corners program has screened the first of a two-part investigation into the treatment of older Australians in aged care homes, including examples of inappropriate medicines use.

 

“These reports are particularly distressing to our members,” said Dr Jackson. “Pharmacists are a key group of health professionals who understand how much medicine safety and quality directly impacts the health and wellbeing of vulnerable residents in aged care facilities – both negatively and positively.

 

“Better co-ordination and greater investment in healthcare professionals like pharmacists needs to be built into the operation and design of aged care facilities.

 

“Research shows positive health outcomes are delivered in models where pharmacists and pharmacy services are embedded and integrated within aged care facilities. These pharmacists support doctors in making the right decisions about the use of medications, guide nurses in the correct administration of medications, and regularly review medications residents are taking.

 

“Unfortunately, what we see in practice is that all too often they are not there, and it is our aged care residents who pay the price,” said Dr Jackson.

 

-ENDS-

Media contact:

Jarryd Luke

Senior Communications Officer

0487 922 176

Changes to Self Care program

Changes to the Self Care program are coming soon. The Self Care program is designed for pharmacies to deliver improved health care to patients. It provides resources and training to educate pharmacy staff, add value to the patient’s experience, and aims to increase business growth with tailored health promotions and resources.