Election special podcast: Health is high up on the agenda this federal election – we find out what one group’s key priorities are when it comes to pharmacy

AJP Podcast host Carlene McMaugh has spoken with Pharmaceutical Society of Australia national president Dr Fei Sim to find out what pharmacy, pharmacists and not least patients need from the next government.

Sim takes us through the series of recent reviews into scope of practice, and why it matters so much, particularly given the chronic workforce shortages across the health sector.

“I really believe that if nothing changes the health system is really not going to cope,” Sim warns.

“We do have an issue in Australia in terms of ageing population and we know that ageing population will come with increased healthcare needs and we know that if nothing changes, nothing changes.”

She cited the Deloitte report which showed that by 2050, Australia is going to need four times as many full-time equivalent health professionals as it does currently – “and we know that’s not possible”.

“And that’s why there needs to be a reform to really look at how we can enable all healthcare professionals to practise to our full and top of scope,” she says.

Sim tells McMaugh that the top priority for PSA this election is “to ask the government for their commitment to support professional practise education and training of pharmacists because these are all needed to support pharmacists to practise to full scope.

“It’s so important that this has to be the immediate policy priority because all of the measures that were previously committed by the government, which are designed to enhance professional practice, education and training of pharmacists, they need to be fully funded.

“Because if pharmacists are not supported in terms of not just remuneration, but if pharmacists are not supported in terms of upskilling, in terms of the availability of training and education in terms of the availability of a strong and robust professional governance framework underpinning the practise and especially the fast evolving practise, then pharmacists are not supported to do the job well.”

Sim goes through the eight “very, very clear election asks” put forward in its recent pre-election platform.

Highlights include:

(01.54): “Everybody cares about health.”

(03:08 ): How have the recent pharmacy reviews influenced PSA’s agenda?

(06:40 ): “If nothing changes the health system is really not going to cope.”

(11:11 ): PSA’s number-one priority: supporting pharmacists

(14:40 ): Support to improve patients’ access to PBS medicines

(17:50 ): Don’t forget about medicines-related harm

(20:33 ): Credentialled pharmacists and why the HMR cap must be removed – and remuneration must be adequate

(23:06 ): The Aged Care Onsite Pharmacist program

(25:03 ): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

(26:52 ): How has government responded to these priorities?

(29:44 ): The member advocacy push

(33:22 ): “This needs to be an ongoing conversation.”

You can access the full transcript of this podcast here. While we endeavour to ensure all important words and phrases are correct, please note there may be some minor inaccuracies in the transcription.

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