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HEATHER PYM Division of General Practice Perspective |
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Onwards
and Upwards
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The end of another year and a time to reminisce on where the time has gone and more importantly what has been achieved and what is still on the agenda. |
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much of what I do, like many of us, is routine and predictable there
have been a few surprises and unexpected challenges this year. An accelerating acceptance and uptake of Home Medicines Reviews from unexpected quarters has tested the system and added to the overall achievements of both pharmacists and the General Practitioners. It is with huge relief and pleasure that the discharge home medicines reviews are underway from the major teaching hospitals in the Division area. This has bought together great commitment and perseverance from all concerned in the team - general practitioners, hospital pharmacists, hospital administration, countless committee meetings and Government departments. Now the community general practitioners and community pharmacists have to respond accordingly and hopefully a seamless transition from hospital to home with minimum medication confusion and professional help will reduce some of the readmissions that occur all too often. This is an ongoing challenge for next year. In the medical world the changes are frequent and at the Division level in the community there has been much discussion on fiscal matters and the viability of medical practice and the time pressures we all face. On the larger front I have been interested to read the ongoing saga on de-regulation, rescheduling, the corporate foray into the pharmacy world and comments from fellow professional colleagues on the day to day changes that are an expected feature of working in any field these days. I look forward to a break over the festive season as I imagine most of my colleagues do.
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