The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is calling on the Federal Government to ensure patients, not pharmacists, are put first in any future pharmacy funding agreements.
Earlier this month an Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report into the Administration of the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement revealed the agreement failed to deliver real improvements in the quality use of medicines and that there were inadequate reporting and evaluation frameworks.
RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones said the ANAO report should be a wakeup call for the government.
“As a foundation principle within any system of health care, tax payer money allocated to the health budget should be spent in the best interests of patients,” Dr Jones said.
“The RACGP has serious concerns that this is not the case for the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement, which in annual terms delivers funding worth almost five per cent of the total health budget.
“The agreement’s key objective should be to promote the safe and effective use of medicines among patients. However, according to the ANAO findings, the agreement has failed to deliver real improvements in the quality use of medicines. This is completely unacceptable and further agreements should not be entered into until this objective can be assured.”
Dr Jones said the RACGP had joined with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Consumers Health Forum and written to Minister Ley outlining their concerns.
“Combined, the RACGP, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Consumers Health Forum represent nearly 50,000 doctors and more than 2 million health consumers. We hope that the government will listen to our united voice and take action by initiating a thorough review of the future of Community Pharmacy Agreements,” Dr Jones said.
The RACGP is the peak professional body for general practice in Australia representing more than 29,000 members working in or towards a career in general practice.