Media release
18 February 2011
Pharmacy Consultation Proposals Released For Discussion
District Health Boards and PHARMAC, with support from community pharmacy agents, have today released consultation
proposals for improving pharmacy services for people who require support to improve their health outcomes following the
discussion documents process undertaken last November.
“The proposed changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule’s rules have a patient, rather than a medicine, focus” DHBs’
spokesperson Sharon Kletchko says.
“They recognise the high needs and vulnerability of three particular groups of patients and support a multi-disciplinary
clinical team approach to patient care, as do the 20 DHBs’ proposals which clarify the service expectations for these
patients.”
“We have developed these proposals after considering feedback from 146 written submissions, and meetings with a range of
stakeholders.”
She says the intent of the proposals is to improve pharmacy services that high needs patients can receive, with an
emphasis on obtaining the clinical support they need with their medicines so they become as self-managing as possible
and achieve better health results.
The proposals have identified three vulnerable groups of patients most likely to benefit from a more clearly specified
pharmacy service approach and these groups are:
· People with long term conditions who have multiple co-morbidities (problems), require multiple medications and have
limited self-management ability which compromises their health and life expectancy if they don’t adhere to their
treatment regime.
· People in Age Related Residential Care (ARRC)
· People with mental and intellectual disabilities who live in community residences funded by DHBs or the Ministry of
Health.
20 DHBs’ proposed that patients either meet the criteria for Close Control, or otherwise be eligible to receive services
through one of the three DHB service proposals (Close Control rules will not apply to these services).
They also proposed to clarify service expectations for People in ARRC, Community Residences and Penal Institutions; and
similarly the service expectations for people with Long Term Conditions.
“This is an opportunity for all individuals and groups – including those working in age related residential care, mental
health and disability and primary care as well as consumers or consumer organisations –- who have an interest in
influencing the direction pharmacy services to make a contribution,” Dr Kletchko says.
“We value pharmacists’ clinical health professional skills, as we do the skills of the multi-disciplinary teams and
their contributions to primary health care delivery. That is why we want their involvement in this inclusive and
transparent process.”
“I urge those who are involved or interested to read the overview document and the proposals,” she says.
The next step will be DHB decisions post consultation that will feed through to the Community Pharmacy Services
Agreement which covers around 900 community pharmacies in New Zealand.
ENDS