Eight month rollover important opportunity for sector

27 July 2011

Eight month rollover important opportunity for sector

The rollover of the pharmacy services contract was a key focus of the Community Pharmacy Leaders Forum (CPLF) today.

“The rollover of the existing contract gives the DHBs and the sector time to make changes to the government-funded pharmacy services so that they are driven by quality and patient benefits rather than volume,” said CPLF chair, Elizabeth Plant today. “It also gives the primary health sector the opportunity to sort out the problem that has developed with the overuse of daily and weekly close control.”

At the CPLF meeting the Guild and the Society committed to assisting their members to identify and address issues of overuse of daily and weekly close control that may have developed in their own pharmacy. Both organisations will promote the issue to members in their routine communications and will also offer advice to individuals. CPLF sees this as an opportunity for individual pharmacies to work with their own DHBs and PHOs to sort out a local solution.

”Peer review and support is a significant part of ensuring the correct application of close control,” said Ms Plant. “Pharmacists are well placed to assist their own colleagues to identify good pharmacy practice in this area. We all have a shared interest in getting this right and a professional responsibility to do so.”

ENDS

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