PSA welcomes new Victorian Health Minister

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes the appointment of Jenny Mikakos as Minister for Health in the returned Andrews Labor Government.

 

PSA also welcomes the return of Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley and urges the ministers to consider improving access to healthcare in Victoria by taking full advantage of the flexible and highly trained pharmacist workforce.

 

PSA Victorian President Benjamin Marchant said, “We congratulate Minister Mikakos on her appointment and look forward to working with her to adopt innovative models of care that make better use of pharmacists’ skills and expertise.

 

“We will engage with Minister Foley on providing seed funding for a pilot of the shared care model for Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence (MATOD) services in Victoria.

 

“Licit and illicit drug abuse and misuse are a huge concern in the community and existing MATOD services are struggling to meet demand, so we are calling for a more sustainable model.”

 

Mr Marchant said PSA hopes Minister Foley will consider removing a key barrier to MATOD services by fully funding dispensing and management fees for patients.

 

PSA also urges the Government to allow Victorians to access the full range of National Immunisation Program vaccines through pharmacists.

 

“Pharmacists are the most frequently contacted health professionals in Victoria and have been providing vaccinations since 2016, so there are abundant opportunities for them to do more.”

 

PSA also believes it is essential for the Government to appoint a Chief Pharmacist in Victoria to advise the Government and provide coordination within the Department of Health and Human Services and with other stakeholders.

 

“We thank the outgoing Minister for Health Jill Hennessy for her outstanding contributions to pharmacy and the health system in Victoria,” Mr Marchant said.

 

-ENDS-

Media contact:  

Jarryd Luke,

Senior Communications Officer

0487 922 176