Ask Your Pharmacist Week - Community Pharmacy Is Saving The Health System Billions

Community Pharmacy is Saving the Health System Billions

The value of community pharmacy services is an important focus of Ask Your Pharmacist Week 2009 (31 August 6 September).

Research shows that community pharmacists play a crucial role in alleviating financial burdens on Australia's health care system. A study by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's Research and Development Program found that pharmacies prevent approximately 486,000 people from having to visit their GP or go to hospital through providing non-prescription medicines saving the health system an estimated $2.75 billion each year.

Adding to the inherent value that community pharmacy delivers to the Australian public, recent reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Federal Government, in partnership with the Pharmacy Guild, have increased the cost effectiveness of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

"These have most notably included the historic PBS Reforms Package implemented last year and the introduction of PBS Online electronic claiming and entitlement checking. The Guild estimates that the PBS Reforms alone will save the Government a total of $7.4 billion over 10 years, which is more than double the $3 billion estimated by the Coalition Government in 2006," National President of the Pharmacy Guild, Kos Sclavos, said.

"These added efficiencies have allowed new life saving medicines to be added to the PBS. In the last two years alone, 152 new line items have been added to the scheme, costing the tax payer $320 million. The average cost of these drugs is over $150 and 35 of the items cost more than $1000 each."

Australia's current system of community pharmacy also saves customers money and the inconvenience of ill-health. The vast majority of the professional pharmacy services are provided to patients free of charge and, in terms of normal advice and counselling, there is no need to make an appointment. This makes community pharmacy the most accessible of all health care destinations.

"Every pharmacist will tell you that they spend a significant part of their day providing services for which they don't charge, including home deliveries for older people with limited mobility; wound re-dressing; and provision of free advice on anything from baby health to diabetes control to smoking cessation," Mr Sclavos said.

"These services help to keep patients well, enabling them to save the expense of unnecessary doctor visits and avoid hospitalisation arising from adverse medicine events, as well as continuing to work and importantly from the perspective of Government contributing taxes. It's a win-win-win situation for the patient, the Government and community pharmacy," he said.

For further media enquiries phone Rachel Chin or Michael Pittman on 02 6270 1888.

SOURCE: The Pharmacy Guild of Australia