Pharmacy will play a leading role in the Government’s e-health initiatives, the Minister for Human Services has indicated.
Delivering the keynote address at APP yesterday, Senator Joe Ludwig acknowledged the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s “significant contribution” to IT and e-health solutions and said the profession would continue to play a central role as the sector evolved in the coming years.
He also announced Government subsidies totalling $6 million for the development of integrated solutions for Medicare Easyclaim, an electronic claiming channel that enables people to receive on-the-spot Medicare rebates, as part of the Rudd Government’s plans to further drive the uptake of electronic claiming.
“For busy medical practices, the re-keying involved with standalone Easyclaim often proved too big a burden. This initiative will help streamline that process,” he said.
Senator Ludwig said online claiming for PBS was an excellent example of what could be achieved in electronic claiming.
“This streamlining of processes will allow Medicare Australia to be more responsive, to address potential issues at a much earlier stage and will also prepare for the time when paper is no longer needed,” he said.
“We have a shared interest in taking this work forward – as it impacts on the way pharmacies do business, as well as the future of Medicare Australia’s operations.”