Fresh outlook needed: APESMA

Simone Roberts

The association has called on the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to discard its out-dated thinking if the profession is going to make the most of the opportunities presented by the strategy.

Dr Geoff March, president of the Pharmacist Division of APESMA, said there are exciting opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to this strategy, but there has to be a significant shift in the current practice paradigm.

"The Pharmacy Guild, in supporting its own constituents, has embarked on a long term strategy of focussing on and strengthening the supply function. This is obvious through the four monopoly Guild agreements made with the government since 1991. Many community pharmacists have disagreed with this focus on supply, but as we have seen recently following the PSA's submission concerning GP super clinics, the Guild's thinking is firmly fixed by this old thinking," he said.

Dr March said the structure of community pharmacy would have to change to allow the implementation of patient services foreshadowed in the discussion around super clinics such as pharmacist prescribing, patient monitoring, post marketing surveillance and quality assurance.

"What is required is some visionary thinking. We need to build a profession that is health outcomes focused, not process orientated. This doesn't mean that community pharmacies should disappear; far from it.

"However, the current approach of the Guild is not going to be enough to address the priorities of the strategy. If they are the leaders they claim to be, the Guild should be responding to these opportunities from a profession's view point, not just protecting owners' interests," he said.

Dr March said there was much resting on Guild national councillor Judith Liauw, the pharmacist appointed to the 13-member reference group charged with devising the national primary care strategy, and wished her well in her role.

"On behalf of the profession and its future I urge Ms Liauw to advocate with a vision for the future and discard the old thinking of the Guild leadership," he said.