The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) is lobbying for pharmacists and other allied health professionals to be included in the government’s health reform agenda.

 

PSA national president Warwick Plunkett said it was important the Medicare Locals were not GP centric.

 

In its Budget Submission, the PSA has put forward a proposal to the Federal Government for a Liaison Pharmacist Program to be developed to help deliver some of  the government’s health-reform objectives, particularly in the area of mental illness.

 

Mr Plunkett said the proposal would see one salaried pharmacist for every Medicare Local to improve cost-effective health services for consumers with mental illness.

 

“This very worthwhile program would also ensure there was a point of coordination and communication between the consumer, the primary health-care team, the community mental-health team including GPs, and hospital-based health professionals,” Mr Plunkett said.

 

“This program would reduce preventable medication errors and help to control the personal and health system costs of medication errors.”

 

Mr Plunkett said the report also showed that in 2009 nearly 300,000 patients from the top-income group received $146 million in Medicare-financed mental health services, while half that number in the lowest income group accessed $54 million in services.

 

“Clearly accessibility to mental health services is a major issue and one that needs to be addressed,” Mr Plunkett said.

 

“A very effective way of helping to get services to those who are currently missing out is through pharmacists who are the most accessible of all health professionals.

 

“In addition, pharmacists are the medication experts who can help patients with compliance issues, a major factor in ongoing mental illness treatment.”

 

Mr Plunkett urged the Government to take up the PSA proposal for the clear and long-term benefits it would provide for the consumer and the health system.