A discriminatory approach is being taken by government policy on the supply of Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) items for remote living Aboriginal people. For the past eight years the supply of PBS items to this marginalised population group has been made by "community" (retail) pharmacies for $1.14 an item. The fee paid to dispense PBS to other Australians is $5.44. The question has to be answered as to where is the $4.30 difference and when will that be made available to remedy the serious situation that exists with the spend on PBS for Aboriginal people being one third that of non-Indigenous Australians.
The advisers to the Federal Government on pharmacy policy, the Pharmacy Guild and NACCHO, must take their minds away from making more money for pharmacists and focus on the individual client to determine the best approach. Information is needed for the client regarding their prescribed medicines for without it a pack of medicine tablets may as well be just any old chemical. Without information medicine is useless.
While the explanation is simple – there is no recording process or counseling opportunity – the question remains as to why remote living Aboriginal people should be subjected to a second rate PBS system. Surely they are as entitled to at least a pharmacy service that suits the needs of the health centres where they have primary health care delivered.It is the view of this column that the $4.30 shortfall should be made available as a block grant to the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations at a State/Territory level to distribute in a way the allows the larger health services to employ their own pharmacists to apply quality use of medicine programs across the client population.
The amount of money would be determined by the number of PBS items supplied in the 2006-07 year multiplied by $4.30. It is estimated this would provide a fund of around $1.5 million for the NT alone. Pharmacists could be responsible for programs delivered on a regional basis – the way health services are being developed in the NT for remote areas.
If official pharmacy through the Pharmacy Guild, PSA and SHPA want to do something to assist with the intervention in the NT then this amount would be a small contribution from the 4th Community Pharmacy Agreement coffers.
There is nothing more important for a child that to have both parents live longer – and at the moment there are too many children deprived of parental support by the early age of death.
If official pharmacy through the Pharmacy Guild, PSA and SHPA want to do something to assist with the intervention in the NT then this amount would be a small contribution from the 4th Community Pharmacy Agreement coffers.
There is nothing more important for a child that to have both parents live longer – and at the moment there are too many children deprived of parental support by the early age of death.
