Published by Computachem Services

P.O Box 297.
Alstonville. 2477
NSW Australia

Phone:
61 2 66285138

If time is gathering pace, as it must be when I look back and see how close January 2002 feels, then the acceptance and role of QUM in the medical and public arena is surely keeping up.
The challenges and rewards of working in this area as a pharmacist with General Practitioners have been many in the past twelve months.

Furthering the ‘academic detailing’ acceptance in the Division, laying the foundations for pharmacist home medication review services and encouraging the involvement of QUM in prescribing decisions has assured me of the benefits a consultant pharmacist can have working with a group of dedicated General Practitioners.
Some commentators have suggested that the DMMR has been slow to get off the ground.
This has not been my experience.
At the same time I do not have over realistic expectations of the adoption of an MBS item, however useful, that calls for the integration of a totally new concept for both a patient and a GP.
It takes time for all concerned to honestly facilitate this into everyday practice and this is obvious to me as I discuss the process with the GPs.
The therapeutic relationship that exists between a patient and a GP until now has involved specialists and ancillary health workers in many fields but the pharmacist relationship has largely been about supply.
It is so good to see this beginning to be extended in the community so that the pharmacist’s expertise is able to be fully utilised .
In my Division DMMRs are being ordered and the reports I have seen and the comments of the GPs receiving them have been encouraging.
Pharmacists involved have been pleased and the majority of proprietors have registered which indicates a willingness and acceptance by them of this new opportunity for professional practice.
Sadly some are antagonistic and will not be involved – perhaps lacking vision or satisfied with the function of ‘supply’ only.
Others have not the confidence to become involved – here I am able to help!
One of the deficiencies I have noted is the lack of understanding by both GPs and pharmacy owners for the continuing monitoring of a patient’s medication by way of the supposedly supplied medication chart.
In a majority of cases I have spoken of with pharmacists the third copy of the patient medication chart has not been returned from the GP and in most of these cases the pharmacist has not chased it up.
I wonder what legal implications and ‘duty of care’ issues could surface if there followed an adverse drug event that was preventable if this communication had been established?
There are many challenges ahead in the New Year as it dawns as I expect there are for all the readers in whatever field of pharmacy endeavor you pursue.

I do wish everybody (co-writers and readers), the compliments of the Christmas season and a happy and healthful New Year.......Heather