Australia’s new pharmacy agreements provide model for others to follow, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) president, Paul Sinclair, tells our latest podcast
AJP Podcast presenter Carlene McMaugh discusses the Eight Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA) and the Strategic Agreement on Pharmacist Professional Practice, with the former Pharmacy Guild of Australia vice president, Paul Sinclair.
Having led the Guild’s negotiating team for the 6CPA, Sinclair lauded the 8CPA negotiating team for their efforts in securing the new deal with the government (1 min 28).
Other topics discussed include:
- “There was a real opportunity for government to disrupt our industry further in the professional side of it” (2:15)
- 8CPA provides a platform for further broadening pharmacists’ scope of practice (2:43)
- The 8CPA funding model provides great certainty to the industry (3:31)
- Overseas models are funded by insurance companies that tend to take a harder line on the value of the pharmacist (4:12)
- Consumer choice ensured by the 8CPA allows patients to engage with their local pharmacy and build relationships (5:45)
- The 8CPA is a model other countries can learn from (7:46)
- The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s (PSA’s) Strategic Agreement on Pharmacist Professional Practice is “a very good thing… the fact that the PSA now has its own agreement, it takes a lot of tension out of the way that agreements were previously negotiated” (10:38)
- “We’ve got a great platform now” for the expansion of scope of practice (14:14)
- “We have to advocate strongly for further progression of scope of practice” (18:06)
- German policymakers are considering “a very disturbing policy… which would allow pharmacies to operate without a pharmacist on the premises” (25:28).
- Other countries are pushing for pharmacy technicians to play a bigger role to free up pharmacists to deliver professional services (27:50).
You can access the full transcript of this podcast here. While we endeavour to ensure all important words and phrases are correct, please note there may be some minor inaccuracies in the transcription.
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Carlene McMaugh
