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EDITORIAL
* E- Pharma Conference
* NZ Government reverses pharmacy deregulation process
* Welcome to a new writer.
NZ
Ownership Reversal
By Neil Johnston
The
cause of New Zealand pharmacy was recently threatened when the NZ government
embarked on a program of legislation, which involved the deregulation
of pharmacy ownership.
This process began in January 2002, and it was obvious from the beginning
that the logic behind the moves had not been properly thought through.
In the first article, we reported that a press release plus "A
letter of information was sent to pharmacists on the same date, and
it appears that this may have been the first communication to pharmacists,
regarding such drastic and dramatic changes.
The choice of words such as "Government-mandated move" we
have all heard before, and it seems that once again, government has
failed to understand the essence of pharmacy.
The letter (but not the press release) to New Zealand pharmacists is
a well thought out (from the government perspective) document which
attempts to thwart any potential arguments from community pharmacists.
This means that this was no spur of the moment decision, and the preemptive
strike through the media, illustrates the strategy that they will use
to bludgeon pharmacists into submission.
This article is the first in a series, alerting Australian pharmacists
to an extremely serious situation, and the potential for duplicating
New Zealand changes within an Australian context, is a very real issue."
So began a very interesting saga in NZ Pharmacy political history with
the Pharmacy Guild of Australia playing an active advisory role.
Is
There a Better System
By
Rollo Manning
Retail
pharmacy has locked itself in to a complexity of regulation to ensure
there is accountability for the medicines supplied under the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Scheme to the Australian population at large.
A comparison of the "claims process" between the system for
"mainstream" Australia, and the remote Aboriginal community
population shows that there is a simpler way of managing the supply
of PBS medicines.
Maybe a compromise exists which would simplify the process and maintain
the accountability element.
Has retail pharmacy locked itself into a computer system which leaves
it vulnerable for acting as the agent for the Government in data collection
and fraud management?
Marketing
Complementary Medicines
By Karalyn Huxhagen
Editor's
Note:
Meet Our new writer, Karalyn Huxhagen.
She has an interest in complementary medicine and has agreed to write
on this topic for us.
When we approached her to write, she reponded, "A tempting offer-let
me think on it a few days-I already am very over-committed with managing
a large business and being a PSA National councillor plus a few other
committees etc. Finding time for children and hubby is increasingly
difficult-let alone my flute lessons!!"
We are very please she managed to find the time, for we seem to have
tapped a whirlwind of concentrated energy, encompassing a vast array
of interests.
Karalyn was recently associated with the launch of the PSA's new MAS
scheme.
A
Breakthrough at Last
By Ken Stafford
"The
first of March was a milestone for community pharmacy.
It was the day when a third party insurer formally accepted there was
value in reimbursing its members for professional services provided
by pharmacists."
Jay Hooper, National President of PSA, wrote these words in the May
2002 "Australian Pharmacist" in respect to the Medication
Assistance Service (MAS) costs being reimbursed by The Medical Benefit
Fund (MBF) as part of its ancillary cover for members.
Medication
Assistance Service-
A New Beginning for Pharmacy?
By Jon Aldous
The PSA's
Medication Assistance Service (MAS) offers a new outlet for retail pharmacists
to get paid for their knowledge and skills, independent of the supply
of medications.
The service is expected to operate on an appointment basis with pharmacists
consulting one-on-one with patients to give more detailed information
or advice than is normally possible in the dispensing process.
Healthy
Eating or Starches from the Golden Arches?
Simon Rudderham
The Federal
Budget has been dissected. The results: higher costs for most prescription
medications. Mind you, I would still rather pay thirty odd dollars for
a Seretide Accuhaler than eighty!
But it was preventative medicine and disease state management that made
me question a problem with Australia's healthcare.
A
New Clinical Experience
By Andrew Snow
Welcome
readers from the pharmacy world.
Well, it's week eleven of the semester.
Time where everyone becomes nervous with the thoughts of upcoming exams
racing through your mind.
Leadership
is not a Trivial Thing
By Pat Gallagher
Editor's
Note:
In this edition Pat Gallagher has sent us a copy of a paper presented
earlier this year at the National SME E-Commerce Forum, Melbourne, 8
February 2002
The introduction is by Ewan Brown, Forum Co-Chair & Executive Director,
SETEL
"Pat Gallagher has had a career spanning
35 years, predominantly in the data management and capture business,
and most recently in the B2B e-commerce marketplace. Since 1996, Pat
has gained hands on experience and attempts - working and otherwise
- to implement e-commerce (PeCC Project) across a wide spectrum of corporate,
industry and SME participants. He spent eleven years in Soul Pattinson,
ranging from warehouse inventory to retail roles. In 1978, he formed
a company that pioneered the use of mobile data capture and bar code
devices. Over the next 15 years, the company, TCG, dominated the market
with many first applications and awards. So he has tremendous hands
on experience in the B2B component, and he has a pretty good grasp of
what is needed to draw together the workplace issues and particularly
on leadership."
PBS
Costs, Complementary Medicines and MAS-
A Cycle of Opportunity
By Peter Sayers
Those pharmacists
who have undergone training in nutritional medicine or herbal medicine,
will share one thing in common. They are forever changed in the way
that they view orthodox medicines, and the treatment of disease states.
This common bond arises from an understanding of how body systems work
to utilise the breakdown components of food, and how the body can be
supported through illness, rather than be dominated by drug treatments
that are often associated with adverse events.
The
Cumulative Effect of Small Efforts
By Ayron Teed
"Great
things are done by a series of small things brought together" Vincent
Van Gogh
This
quote for May 2002 from the Pharmacy Guild calendar sums up the consequences
of the pharmacy practices outlined in my previous two letters.
A
NOTE FROM ROY STEVENSON
I
received a copy of this message through email from CHUBB PROTECTIVE
SERVICES and thought it would be appropriate to pass the details on.
Regards, Roy
PUBLIC
SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT -The latest scam involves thieves putting a thin,
clear, rigid plastic sleeve into the ATM card slot. When you insert
your card, the machine can't read the strip, so it keeps asking you
to re-enter your PIN number. Meanwhile, someone behind you watches as
you enter your PIN number. Eventually you give up, thinking the machine
has swallowed your card and you walk away. The thieves then remove the
plastic sleeve complete with card, and then empty your account. The
way to avoid this is to run your finger along the card slot before you
put your card in. The sleeve has a couple of tiny prongs that the thieves
need to get the sleeve back out of the slot, and you'll be able to feel
them. The police would like as many people as possible to be aware of
this scam, so please pass this on to your friends and family.
Regards,
Phil Taylor - Chubb Services Manager -Chubb Mobile Services.
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