New service model for community pharmacy

All District Health Boards

Media Release

Monday 26 March 2012

New service model for community pharmacy has more focus on patients


A proposed new model for community pharmacy has a stronger emphasis on services to patients with higher needs and a strengthened role for community pharmacists, working in partnership with prescribers, such as GPs.

The 20 District Health Boards today begin a month-long information and consultation process with local pharmacists and a range of key stakeholders across New Zealand to explain the new service model.

Julie Patterson, Lead DHB Chief Executive for Pharmacy, said the proposal is an exciting development for the pharmacy profession.

“It strengthens the pharmacist’s role in the modern environment of integrated health care focusing around the patient’s needs,” she said.

The model has been developed over the past two years with national representatives of pharmacists’ organisations and PHARMAC. The Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders including GPs have also made a contribution to the development of the new approach.

“The model endorses and builds on the excellent work being done by many pharmacists already working in a patient-centred model of care,” Mrs Patterson said.

Mrs Patterson said the proposal came about from the desire to give pharmacists incentives to make better use of their clinical expertise in medicines management and the need for DHBs to better manage pharmacy dispensing costs.

Currently pharmacists are funded on the basis of the numbers of medicines dispense. The new arrangements would link the funding to clinical pharmacy services provided to patients.

In addition to information and consultation meetings being held by each DHB, the pharmacy sector organisations will meet with their members to discuss the proposed model.

When local consultation finishes on 20 April, feedback will be considered and the proposed service model will be finalised and readied for implementation from 1 July through the Pharmacy Services Agreement through which DHBs fund community pharmacists.

ENDS

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