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ABy Marcela Araneda. nnounced just weeks before the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement (6CPA) was due to expire on June 30, the Seventh (7CPA) was signed against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing much-needed certainty to community pharmacies in Australia. “I take my hat off to the Health Department and the Minister \\\[Greg Hunt\\\] for the fact they actually found time to not only finalise the agreement, but also to sign off on an agreement that’s fair and reasonable,” Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President George Tambassis said. He praised the efforts by the government and the Guild’s team to finalise the agreement before the end of the financial year at a time when there were many important pressing matters to deal with, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Health Minister and the Health Department were really involved in pandemic issues – and so they should be – and that definitely took precedence over the community pharmacy agreement,” he said. “There was a time there where we obviously only worked just on pandemic issues, but there was, I suppose, a relentless attitude in both parties to just get this thing done as well.” Guild Executive Director Suzanne Greenwood said in the organisation’s Forefront newsletter that the signing of the 7CPA is a milestone for community pharmacy, adding that it gives pharmacists certainty in planning for the next five years, both in terms of business viability and patient-service delivery. “Since arriving at the Guild, I’ve been on its negotiating team for the agreement, and I can tell you it’s been a hard slog with ourselves and the government strongly representing the interests of our respective stakeholders, and both keeping an eye on improved health outcomes for all Australians,” she said. Ms Greenwood also highlighted that the negotiations took place against a dynamic background: at the beginning, the country was looking at surplus in the budget and a positive economic outlook, but that all changed this year, first with the bushfires in summer and then the COVID-19 outbreak. “Almost overnight our economic situation reversed from a potential surplus to a multibillion-dollar deficit,” she said. “This naturally had a major impact on how the final agreement would look. However, it was important to recognise that the agreement is for the future as well as the present, so we were robust in our insistence that this is reflected in the final outcome. “While there’s a great amount of detail in the agreement, some things stand out, which I think reflect the commitment pharmacies have to their communities. There’s increased investment in regional, rural and remote Australia through an increase in the Rural Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance, giving added support to pharmacies that face unique challenges operating in these areas. There’s also new funding to enhance the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “The agreement also expands patient access to dose administration aids by doubling the base cap for pharmacies providing the service and providing uncapped access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “Programs for older Australians’ medication management and adherence continue to be funded under this agreement, which also highlights that there would be improved health outcomes for Australians if the regulations around pharmacists administering vaccines are harmonised across Australia. “We were also pleased that the 60-day dispensing option didn’t appear in the agreement, and I thank those pharmacists who took it upon themselves to highlight to their local politicians and patients the huge negative impact such a measure would have had on their businesses. “These are just a few of the pluses, and of course there are some negatives, not least of which is the $1 discount \\\[which is still there\\\]. The agreement is silent on that. The discount has always been opposed by the Guild on the grounds that it’s flawed health policy and goes against the grain of the concept of universality of the co- payment arrangement, because, under the discount scheme, patients pay different co-payments depending on which pharmacy they visit. “We also note that the low take-up of the optional $1 discount reflects the fact that the sickest and neediest patients understand that it provides no net benefit for them and simply means they take longer to reach their PBS safety net. The lowering of the threshold for the safety net earlier this year doesn’t compensate for the problems of this. “As said, there’s a great amount of detail in the agreement. Virtual briefings are proceeding this month \\\[June\\\] and a face-to-face member roadshow is planned for July, once borders open.” NEWS IN FOCUS 9 PRAISE FOR 7CPA DELIVERY AFTER ‘HARD SLOG’ Key features of the 7CPA include: • Dispensing remuneration increased and indexed to underpin the dispensing of more than 200 million subsidised prescriptions each year for Australian patients. • Increased investment in regional, rural and remote areas through an increase in the Rural Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance. • New funding to enhance the ‘Closing the Gap’ PBS co- payment measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. • Expanding patient access to dose administration aids by doubling the base cap for pharmacies providing the service and providing uncapped access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. • Maintaining the investment in medication management programs to support older Australians’ medication management and adherence. • Recognising improved health outcomes for Australians if the regulations around pharmacists administering vaccines are harmonised across Australia. 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