Page 35 - Retail Pharmacy November/Decemeber 2020

REFLECTION AND RESOLVE AFTER A YEAR OF EXTREMES Year of frontline heroics and certainty secured George Tambassis, National President, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Three significant events dominated the past year for the Pharmacy Guild: the Covid-19 pandemic, the summer bushfires that devastated vast areas and disrupted medicine supply lines, and the negotiation and signing of the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA). Like all industries and all sectors of the economy and health system, community pharmacy was significantly affected by the pandemic. Pharmacies came under enormous, unprecedented pressures. The challenges included staff safety and welfare, patient safety and social distancing, severe medicine shortages caused largely by panic buying, huge pressures to continue staying open and serving patients, then, in many cases, a sharp drop in foot traffic threatening the viability of businesses and jobs. The responses from community pharmacy small businesses across the country are worthy of sincere congratulations. Community pharmacists and pharmacy assistants played an absolutely vital role in ensuring patients received their medicines and advice throughout the coronavirus crisis, despite risks to their own personal health, safety and security. It’s a matter of immense credit to Australian Pharmacists rise to meet mega challenges Associate Professor Chris Freeman, National President, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia The past year has been polar in nature with significant change and great advances for pharmacists and for PSA – making strides in realising the vision of ‘Pharmacists in 2023’ and responding with strength to public health emergencies we’ve never faced before. In January we saw heroic efforts from pharmacists in caring for their communities during the bushfire community pharmacies that their preparedness and quick response to the need for infection control measures, hygiene and social distancing swung into action very quickly and effectively. The bushfire season had a devastating impact across Australia. Homes, businesses and entire communities were decimated. Thick levels of smoke reached our capital cities, causing a range of health issues and reducing air quality. The most tragic feature of all was undoubtedly the loss of lives. Community pharmacies played a critical role in the wake of these bushfires by continuing to stay open and offer pharmacist services. There were many examples of how the community pharmacy network continued to provide frontline healthcare and services to patients and the community during the bushfire season. Thousands of pharmacists across the country are uniquely placed to help with future disasters and emergencies. The Guild is calling for formal recognition of the frontline role that community pharmacists play during a crisis. The 7CPA was signed in Canberra on 11 June 2020, providing some much needed certainty for Guild members and the broader pharmacy sector. Key features of the $18.3 billion agreement include: • Dispensing remuneration increased by nine per cent over the five years. • Increased investment in regional, rural and remote areas through a restructuring of the Rural Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance. emergency which swept down the eastern seaboard from southern Queensland to South Australia, with a lasting impact on many of our colleagues. PSA assisted our members through dedicated mental health support training that underpinned pharmacists in their efforts to lift up their local communities. PSA and other pharmacy organisations worked tirelessly during January to have continued dispensing arrangements expanded, and in ensuring medicines were delivered to areas of need. The entire pharmacy sector worked in unison to support pharmacists on the ground. Not much time had gone by when we were confronted by the global pandemic • New funding to enhance the Closing the Gap PBS co-payment measure. • Expanding patient access to dose administration aids. • Maintaining the investment in programs to support older Australians’ medication management and adherence. • Support for the harmonisation of the regulations around pharmacist administered vaccination across jurisdictions. As all pharmacy owners know, demand for flu vaccination in the 2020 season was extremely high and largely unforeseen, partly because of the focus on health and respiratory wellness caused by the onset of the Covid-19 crisis. Many community pharmacies reported very high demand, with some pharmacies expending their early deliveries of stock in record time. In April, the federal government ordered an additional three million doses, which eased some of the pressure. The strong focus on flu vaccination from so many Australians – and convenient access through local pharmacies – led to a high level of herd immunity and contributed towards a very moderate flu rate in 2020. Community pharmacies across Australia are benefiting public health and herd immunity by vaccinating millions of Australians. It’s the Guild’s strong view that all states and territories need to recognise the added value of pharmacist vaccination and give community pharmacies access to the National Immunisation Program vaccines. of Covid-19. While Australia has largely fared well when it comes to economic and health impacts, we know that many individual pharmacists and pharmacy owners have been disproportionately affected. This fact, despite multiple representations to many in government, continues to be under-recognised. Through rapid adoption of digital image prescribing, and then electronic prescriptions, to telehealth arrangements and home delivery services, pharmacists, again, went above and beyond in minimising the health impacts of the pandemic. I’m proud that PSA helped to drive a number of these initiatives, including remuneration for home delivery of medicines, and expansion of that ANNUAL REPORT 33 RETAIL PHARMACY • NOV/DEC 2020