Pharmacies should be built in communities says consultant - Northern Territory Country Hour - ABC Rural Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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Pharmacy businesses in remote Aboriginal communities are a “natural” and must be supported to provide income to the local economy, real jobs, and career prospects for local people, a Consultant in pharmacy services to Aboriginal health facilities is telling the new CLP  Government in the Northern Territory.

Rollo Manning, a pharmacist, and the architect of the Tiwi Health Board pharmacy business in 2001, has been trying for ten years to repeat the effort in other towns but says he has received no support from the Government.

“To read the publicity blurb behind the ‘Growth Town’ future program of the Henderson Government it appeared that here was the answer. At last something would be done to create real jobs in communities through local entrepreneur opportunities” he said. “But alas nothing happened except an army of bureaucrats hide behind the glossy websites and colourful brochures”.

The NT has one pharmacy to every 7.900 persons compared to the National figure of one pharmacy to every 4,200 people. The reason for this according to Rollo Manning is that the 53,000 persons living in remote   communities are not serviced by a “local” pharmacy.

“There is the is business out there due to the people having a health status recognised as four time worse than non Indigenous Australians. A population of 1000 remote living Aboriginals need the same amount of medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme as 4,000   people in mainstream.” according to Rollo Manning.

“Towns like Maningrida, Wadeye, Galiwin’ku and Jabiru should be able to support their own pharmacy business and I can assure anyone that there are the pharmacists ready and   willing to be a part of such a movement.” he added.

The inclusion of a pharmacist to the primary health effort is likely to be welcomed by all practitioners and a “point of sale” for all things towards “good health” would be the location of the pharmacy business.

“A whole of Government approach is needed and this  includes the Department of Health”, he added.