As you may know, as a part of the 6CPA the Australian Government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia made a commitment to conduct an independent Review of Pharmacy Remuneration and Regulation (the Review).
This Review is currently underway via a panel of three independent reviewers. The panel is led by Professor Stephen King, with Pharmacist Bill Scott and Consumer Advocate Jo Watson also providing input. The panel has been travelling around Australia during a consultation process, to highlight key themes of the Review and to seek further input from pharmacies, pharmacists, those working in pharmacy as well as consumers.
A Review Discussion Paper has been released, which poses 140 questions relating to the current community pharmacy model. The discussion paper questions the efficiency of location rules, the types of products that pharmacies should be allowed to sell, professional and health services in community pharmacy, and the PBS remuneration structure.
Consumer feedback is paramount to the Review, and in ensuring that the best possible pharmacy model is available to all Australians. As a part of the consultation process, the panel has released a consumer survey to gain feedback into how Australians currently use their community pharmacy, and what additional opportunities may exist for community pharmacies.
As a conduit to community pharmacy and consumers, we encourage all pharmacy assistants to complete the survey by 30 September 2016. Consumer feedback will be vital to ensure an accurate picture of the community pharmacy landscape- so you may also wish to encourage your customers, friends and family to also complete the survey.
Please contact the Queensland Branch should you have any questions in regards to the Review, or the consumer survey.