Pharmacy is one of the things that work

MEDIA RELEASE

09 February 2011

Guild tells Prime Minister that pharmacy is one of the things that work

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) welcomes the Prime Minister's Statement to Parliament yesterday, particularly that the Government will be "working to take pressure off hospitals" and "improving public health by expanding the range of health services provided in the community".

While the Prime Minister did not make explicit mention of pharmacy, the Guild is pleased emphasis was placed on providing a world-class health service: "...this Government is building better outcomes from public services by being clear about New Zealanders' priorities, by minimising waste, scaling up what works, getting rid of what doesn't and generally focusing our investment on changes that bring results."

"The Guild welcomes the emphasis on getting better value out of New Zealanders' taxpayer dollars," says Annabel Young, Guild Chief Executive. "As the health professionals you see most often, community pharmacists are well-placed to ease the burden on the health system by providing cost effective and vital primary health care services to patients.

"The network of community pharmacies are well placed to deliver health services to patients that meet the Government's goals of sooner, better and more convenient, as well as being cost effective," she says. "When the Prime Minister says that he wants to scale up the things that work, he should be looking at community pharmacy and we welcome this opportunity."

ENDS

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