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The programs that Simon refer to all come under the auspice of
the Rural and Remote Workforce Development Program.
The Rural and Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program (RRPWDP)
is a Federal Government initiative that was developed to maintain
and enhance pharmacy services in rural and remote Australia.
An alliance was established between the Pharmacy Guild of Australia,
the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Society of Hospital
Pharmacists of Australia, the Remote and Isolated Pharmacists
Association of Australia, the National Pharmaceutical Services
Association, and the Committee Heads of Pharmacy Schools of Australia
and New Zealand which secured $500,000 funding from the Minister
for Health and Aged Care to develop and implement a Rural and
Remote Pharmacy Workforce Development Program.
The Commonwealth's commitment funded a program based on three
levels of intervention: a rural pharmacy curriculum; scholarships
for undergraduates and practicing pharmacists; and the national
pharmacy recruitment database. In the May 2000 budget, the Federal
Government announced that $11.47 million over four years was to
be made available to expand the program to include several new
initiatives and expand existing Schemes.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is the administrator of the program
but all of the above organizations have an equal say on the program
initiatives and developments.
The program, which is available at http://www.guild.org.au/public/rrpwdp
tries to address many issues relating to the poor distribution
of Pharmacists in regional and rural Australia and many of the
initiatives that have been developed out of the program funding
are listed below:
* Emergency locum service
* Rural and Remote Workforce Development Program
* CPE/Professional Development Allowance Scheme
* Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarship Scheme
* Internship (placement) Scholarship Scheme
* Pharmacists Academics at University Departments of Rural Health
* Quality Care Pharmacy Subsidy Scheme
* Rural Pharmacy newsletter
* Allowance for Support services to Remote area
* Aboriginal Health Services
Emergency
Locum Service will assist rural and remote Pharmacists to
cover the travel costs for locums in emergency situations such
as illness, bereavement or family emergencies
Rural
and Remote Pharmacy Infrastructure Grants Program-the funding
is intended to support the role of community pharmacists in rural
and remote communities so that innovative ideas and services can
be developed, implemented and evaluated. Projects must show a
demonstrated capacity for continuing benefits to the community
after completion.
CPE/Professional
Development Allowance Scheme provides financial support to
encourage and enable pharmacists practicing in rural and remote
communities, and pharmacists preparing to re-enter pharmacy practice
in rural and remote communities, to participate in CPE and professional
development opportunities.
Undergraduate Scholarship scheme has been established to
provide financial support to encourage and enable students from
rural and remote communities to undertake undergraduate studies
in pharmacy at University. Scholarship recipients are encouraged
to seek employment in rural and remote areas following graduation.
Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander scheme is to encourage Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students to undertake studies in Pharmacy
at University. It is acknowledged that if the needs of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander communities are to be adequately met
by pharmacists, there is a need for more Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander pharmacists working in the industry.
Intern
(placement) scholarship scheme -In Australia pharmacy students
are required to undertake placements or ‘internships’ in community
and/or hospital pharmacy practice as part of their undergraduate
course. At present, most pharmacy students undertake this internship
in metropolitan areas, largely because of the financial burden
imposed through costs incurred through travel and accommodation
in regional areas. The Placement Scheme provides financial support
to encourage and enable undergraduate pharmacy degree programs
at Australian Universities to deliver student placements in rural
and remote communities. The Scholarships provide assistance with
the travel and accommodation costs associated with undertaking
a placement in a rural or remote area. Interested students should
contact their Pharmacy School for an application form and further
information.
Quality
Care Pharmacy Subsidy Scheme supports pharmacies in rural
and remote areas by reducing their cost of participating in the
Guild's Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP). Eligible assessors
may apply to receive partial reimbursement of the travel and accommodation
costs incurred by undertaking pharmacy assessments. This benefit
is passed on to the pharmacy, reducing the overall cost of QCPP
assessments.
Simon
commented on the fact that in the research conducted looking at
issues in retaining medical practitioner graduates in rural and
regional practices the research has shown an increase in uptake
of these positions if the graduates come from a regional or rural
background. As a result of this evidence, there are a number of
initiatives being undertaken to increase the number of rural medical
students. These include:
*
promotion of health careers and skill development courses for
senior high school students;
* changes in university admission processes and selection criteria,
including the preferential selection of
students from a rural background;
* financial support, eg scholarships;
* personal support and mentoring, and student rural health clubs;
and
*
increased emphasis on rural health curriculum and rural clinical
placements.
These
initiatives can also be applied to Pharmacy and nursing and the
recent National Rural Health Alliance Councilfest has applauded
the initiatives undertaken by the RRPWDP and this model may be
adopted by other health professional organizations who are facing
similar problems.
The Rural Health Clubs that Simon referred to are an initiative
of the National Rural Health Network and are an excellent interaction
and mentoring group for undergraduates.
There are now plans to extend this to a program called GAP - Graduate
Assistance and Partnerships (GAP) Program.
The aim of the GAP Program is to provide graduates with greater
continuity of multidisciplinary interest in rural health between
undergraduate studies and entry into the workforce.
The rural health clubs are an excellent group to interact with
on issues relating to undergraduates, whom the RRPWDP recognises,
but at this stage the program does not have any formal ties with
the rural health clubs.
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A
very Merry Christmas and a
prosperous and Happy New Year
From
Karlyn Huxhagen
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