Pharmacy Review - Responses to the Interim Report

I feel it causes confusion for patients, doesn't really benefit the patients who spend considerable money on medications (As they reach the safety net anyway) and devalues the Pharmacy

Agree to part A

I don't feel there would be as much benefit from part B or C and strongly disagree with Part D

Bulk dispensing and remote dispensing should be avoided unless there are no viable alternative options, e.g. when the patient has no practical way of accessing medications in person

Unless we are also going to do this for GP clinics

It should be offered to patients, but not compulsory supplied, as there are times patients may not want them, or when their health literacy is so low the leaflet with all of its legal jargon creates more confusion than help with the patient and a more simple written or verbal summary can be appropriate.

Also in the hospital situation there can be times where medications are used for indications not in the CMI's where CMI supply is inappropriate

Agree to an extent,
many older patients still require a physical copy of their script to know which items they have a script for and how many repeats/ when repeats are due

if this is to happen I feel a paper 'receipt' or duplicate for the patient records should at least be compulsory offered to the patient

I strongly agree,

Excluding online pharmacy

This is already happening to a significant degree in Tasmania. Perhaps a summary of the patients discharge medications should also be sent electronically to the patients community pharmacy (if nominated) as well as the GP on discharge

This is only significantly beneficial if their sale in other retail outlets is restricted

There are just as many if not more risks when they are sold in retail outlets as there are more false claims of their benefits

This doesn't take into account variables associated with increased cost in low volume rural pharmacies who are providing a service to small communities without the volume to be as efficient as some metropolitan pharmacies,

It will encourage pharmacy owners to put pressure on pharmacists to be more efficient by cutting corners

it sets all scripts at the same value, in reality this is clearly not the case
e.g. originals take longer than repeats,
S8s require longer time due to register requirement
some medications require considerable counselling for appropriate use
some medications have additional paperwork for dispensing

As above

10km is a long way for a patient who can't drive and doesn't have access to public transport, (therefore have to walk/rely on friends or get a taxi)

This isn't as clear cut as the question proposes

agree to a limited extent, sometimes this will not be practical, e.g. Tasmania's S8 laws would be difficult to follow in large states such as NSW, however they have benefits in decreasing and identifying prescription abuse and misuse

it is, we can easily see how much is spent on the PBS

However this runs the risk of several millions in cost overruns for the government if items are overstocked, suggest a limit of 2 items of each high cost item can be held on the shelf under this option

The guild alone does not represent the majority of pharmacists

The supply of a DDA should be treated like a prescription (i.e the pharmacy gets renumerated a'script' each week for a DAA, this can also count towards a patients safety net, to encourage 'high risk' patients to take up the service

Working in a hospital pharmacy (As well as community) I have several patients turn down the suggestion of a webster pak based on 'cost', this quite often results in patient readmission from medication misadventure, despite Doctor and Pharmacist input to minimise it.

I personally believe the extra cost of renumerating community pharmacies for webster packs could be saved through decreased hospital admissions if the right systems are put in place

I have done a placement at KAMS in Broom I still think this is a bad idea, however the law should allow for a co-location of a community pharmacy with them a bit like the Superclinic model

HSD should be a hospital line otherwise they should be listed in the general (section 85 schedule) to remove confusion

Except all compounding facilities should be TGA licenced as part of the minimum standard

Potentially this should go further and expand into classes of medications as well (I.e. only have 4 ACEI listed on the PBS)

This is a huge risk,

It only takes 1 item to be put in the wrong dispensing bay and several people get the wrong medication, and there is NO education provided with this service

I cannot disagree with this more strongly