Very sound reasons not to turn pharmacists into “low cost” doctors.
Image: Pixabay.com
So there is a budget crisis. There’s also a new federal Health Minister. And, here it comes, community pharmacies are negotiating over a billion-dollar deal with the Government: The Community Pharmacy Agreement sets out the Government funding pharmacists receive for dispensing PBS medicines.
Put these ingredients together and what do you get?
Answer: Community pharmacists who want to be doctors – oh sorry – who want to be paid for what they think are the easy parts of the doctor’s job. Oops wrong again: They want to deliver ‘better and more cost-effective health outcomes’.
If it’s up to the Pharmacist Guild, pharmacists will be:
- Filling repeat prescriptions to ‘free up doctors time’
- Treating ‘easy’ minor ailments
- Giving more vaccinations (e.g. a flu-shot for $25 with no Medicare rebate)
- Doing ‘easy’ health checks, screening and preventive health services
- Giving mental health support.
Sounds great doesn’t it? At first glance this improves access to health services and saves tax…
View original post 458 more words