Minister’s comments set the direction for DHBs

MEDIA RELEASE

5 May 2009

Guild sees Minister’s comments as setting the direction for DHBs

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the ‘Guild’) is welcoming indications from Heath Minister Tony Ryall that he believes that front line community pharmacists are under utilised in the primary care system.

“DHBs must accept the Minister’s guidance on this issue,” says Guild Chief Executive Annabel Young. “Better utilisation of community pharmacy offers a way through the crisis in health arising from a shortage of doctors and hospital beds. Paying community pharmacy for wider services is both an efficient and an effective use of DHB funds. Some DHBs recognise this already but it is patchy and at low levels.”

”Right now New Zealanders experience ‘postcode’ health care because different DHBs provide varying access to these wider services.”

“Taken together with the DHBs commitment to the Minister that pharmacy will have one framework across all New Zealand, we see the Minister’s statements as setting the bones of what the next contract will look like,” says Ms Young.

The Guild wants pharmacists to be funded to provide four additional services when the Pharmacy Services Agreement comes up for renegotiation in 2010. These include nicotine replacement therapy programmes, medicine-use reviews, dispensing the emergency contraceptive pill and help managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma. The Guild is calling for the Minister to ensure that there is a clear, national mandate for the provision of these services.

ENDS

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