‘Advanced pharmacy’ crucial to improving health outcomes as SHPA welcomes 8CPA progress
The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) today welcomes progress made toward the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA) through the Heads of Agreement announced yesterday by the Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care the Hon. Mark Butler MP and National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Professor Trent Twomey, while reiterating the need for integrated pharmacy care informed by evidence-based guidelines to improve health outcomes.
SHPA Chief Executive Kristin Michaels welcomed the continuing engagement with government on the future of CPAs, medicines supply and pharmacy services and programs.
‘Through our dialogue with government and work with healthcare partners we aim to ensure all pharmacy services are appropriately targeted and funded so patients with greatest need receive pharmacy care when and where they need it.
‘We know from local and international evidence that when focused on each person and their circumstances, pharmacists can make ever greater contributions to the health and wellbeing of patients, reducing medication-related adverse events and medicine-related hospital admissions.
‘We need the future of medicines management programs and services in the primary care setting to be enhanced through evidence, evaluated and appropriately targeted to our highest-risk patients first and foremost, to maximise health outcomes for the community and keep our patients out of hospital where we can.
‘This is advanced pharmacy: pharmacists and technicians with specialty skills, in the right place at the right time, dedicated to evidence-based care.’
Ms Michaels says SHPA looks forward to maximising the reach and impact of pharmacy outreach programs for older Australians.
‘As the longest continuous accrediting body for accredited pharmacists, on behalf of our members, we continue to enquire on future arrangements for Accredited Pharmacists post-June 2024, to minimise any disruption to Home Medicines Review (HMR) and Residential Medication Management Review (RMMR) programs.
‘Our Standard of practice in geriatric medicine for pharmacy services is the pre-eminent Australian standard for delivering pharmacy services to older patients in a variety of settings, including community aged care and residential aged care settings.
‘Our members deliver specialty pharmacy practice at crucial transitions of care, which are increasingly important to patient safety amid the realities of our constrained pharmacy workforce.'
Ms Michaels says the unique expertise of hospital-based pharmacists is crucial to ensuring the safety and sustainability of pharmacy practice and programs.
‘Later this year, our revised SHPA Standards of Practice for Clinical Pharmacy Services (2013) will be launched, the blueprint for optimal Australian clinical pharmacy services, informed by innovation in our hospitals and cognizant of the broader patient journey.
‘On behalf of our members we congratulate the government and all contributing parties on progress toward the 8CPA, and look forward to continuing our involvement in 8CPA negotiations toward an outcome in which the pharmacy profession is fully supported to optimise patient care, everywhere.’