*20 November 2008*
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*MEDIA RELEASE*
Pharmacy leaders united – one contract, one health infrastructure.
Members of the Community Pharmacy Leaders Forum (CPLF) are unanimous that the current health infrastructure is not
working for community pharmacy.
"Having 21 autonomous DHBs attempting to take different approaches to delivering New Zealand's health services creates
unnecessary bureaucratic headaches. The magnitude of consultation stretches capacity and many in the Pharmacy sector
have been worn down by spending excessive time and effort pursuing new service initiatives only to see staff changes,
lack of funding or inability to make decisions result in the same inaction."
"Resources would be better spent on delivering health services rather than trying to invent the same initiative 21
times" says Alan Wham, Chief Executive of Pharmacybrands.
Currently, pharmaceutical services are provided to communities via a contract between the individual pharmacy and their
local DHB. However the CPLF is determined that future contracts must embrace central heath policy, including the actions
of Pharmac which have a significant impact on the sustainability of community pharmacy.
On top of this the four different regional groupings of DHBs, not to mention various PHOs, are each trying to determine
the future direction of community pharmacy in New Zealand. Without a clear mandate, DHBs are wasting valuable time and
resources, and the opportunity for community pharmacy to make significant improvements to health outcomes is being lost.
The CPLF is clear that one contract and one health infrastructure are needed to reduce duplication of effort and focus
resources for the health benefit of all New Zealanders.
ENDS