Here
at the West Vic Division of General Practice we have been working
with pharmacy for almost five years now. In that time Jane Measday
and myself have met some truly amazing individuals whose passion
for their profession is awe inspiring.
One of those individuals is Ayron Teed.
Ayron's prodding and cajoling have resulted in us taking on projects
and proposals that have resulted in increased awareness of the importance
of rural pharmacy and rural pharmacists and improved understanding
between GPs and pharmacists.
One of these projects was the GP Pharmacy Liaison Project.
A pharmacist, Debbie Norton, was employed along with myself to identify
issues in common, and strategies to facilitate and improve communication
between the professions.
The
following is a 'fact sheet' from the GP Pharmacy Liaison How to
Kit produced at the end of the project. The complete kit can be
downloaded from www.westvicdiv.asn.au
and click on current projects, GP/Pharmacy Liaison and you will
find the kit and the project report.
While there have a look at the Rural Pharmacy page, it includes
copies of our Pharmfax and a new Pharmacy Locum Service.
Fact
Sheet 2
THE
ROLE OF PHARMACY AND DIVISIONS
The Divisions of General Practice Program, introduced in 1992
has provided GPs with an infrastructure to support general practice
to allow them to contribute to the wider health care system.
There are no "Divisions of Pharmacy".
Representation and advocacy for pharmacy is provided by The Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the
Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia who continue to play
a critical role in the public health of Australians.
Like
general practitioners, community pharmacists are key players in
primary health, yet historically they have been able to conduct
their core business without much consultation with the local health
planners or workers and have remained quite separate from the
wider health network.
Pharmacists have acknowledged the separateness of their profession
and through their professional bodies, education and government
initiatives are moving their profession from one of supply to
providing broader medication services that complement a range
of health care providers.
However, to provide services beyond supply requires changes in
existing work practices.
Divisions
of General Practice provide a good model of local infrastructure
to facilitate changes in work practices and assist in the roll
out of new government initiatives.
Utilizing current Divisional infrastructure is more efficient
than duplicating structures for another group of health professionals
and there are obvious similarities between GPs and Pharmacists.
The Division is a geographical group of prescribers that naturally
duplicates a geographical area of dispensers.
Both professions are:
* experiencing workforce shortage particularly in the rural sector
* remunerated by the Commonwealth Government
* delivering services to the same patients
* key stakeholders in primary care
* valued highly by consumers as essential health service in small
rural communities
* restricted in cross professional work because of work practices
that tie them to the workplace.
What are the areas that Divisions can engage pharmacists?
1. Health Needs Analysis
Divisions have over the last eight years mapped health services
within their geographical boundaries and consulted other health
providers to identify gaps and the appropriate program interventions
to assist the general practice workforce and improve health outcomes.
This work is currently being updated for the new strategic plan.
Does your Division map pharmaceutical services or consult with
pharmacy on their perception of health needs?
2. Engage the Board of Management
Brief your Board of Management on the findings of consulting pharmacy
for the updated Health Needs Analysis and the benefits for GP/Pharmacy
Liaison.
3. NPS and DMMR
These two programs provide the opportunity to employ a pharmacist
to work within the Division infrastructure and so allows knowledge
and understanding to be shared across the two sectors.
4. Medication Management
Many programs have a component that incorporates medication management.
Funding applications can Include funding for pharmacist consultant
time to be on steering committees or to act in the same capacity
as GP consultants.
Many Aged Care Programs, health promotion and service coordination
activities have the platforms to engage pharmacists. Invite local
pharmacists to any CME that is relevant.
5.
Advocacy
Think Pharmacy.
Divisions are now key players in local and wider health planning
strategies.
They have the opportunity to raise the awareness of the other
key players about the importance of consulting pharmacy.
Pharmacy is a key player in the primary care sector but because
of the individual business structure like general practice are
frequently not consulted.
Divisions can just ask " Has pharmacy been consulted?"
How can Divisions engage pharmacists?
The Division has the infrastructure to provide the opportunity
and capacity for local pharmacists to have a collective local
voice to respond to local initiatives.
These activities are reliant on funding but can be included as
strategies for existing or new programs.
Other fact sheets explain these strategies in more detail
*Identify and contact local pharmacists
* Develop a communication tool to share information
* Provide pharmacists with a mechanism to discuss issues and formulate
local response and solutions to progress GP/Pharmacy issues
* Consult with the pharmacy peak bodies around the issues, as
they may already have resources, tools or policy that may assist.
The
challenge facing Divisions is to develop programs that are inclusive
of pharmacy without duplicating or conflicting with pharmacy peak
body core business.
To assist in navigating appropriate programs it is important to
ask
*
Is the issue common core business of the local GPs and Pharmacists
in the area?
* Does the PSA or GUILD have a response, or existing initiative
that
addresses the issue?
* Has the Division obtained the views of hospital, community pharmacists
and pharmacists employed in community pharmacy?
* Is the Division the appropriate organisation to progress or
address the issue?
* Does the Division have the resources and commitment from both
professions to progress?
* Does the Division have funding for the activity or does the
Board of Management support Division resources being committed
to the program ?
Initially,
pharmacy needs to be championed within the Division's programs,
but over time Quality Use of Medicine or Medication Management
Review programs will naturally incorporate a pharmacy consultation
or perspective as knowledge around pharmacy expands.
This can be compared to community liaison in the Division program,
that once was driven by project workers but now most Divisions
would incorporate as a core component of their program work.
Eventually, pharmacy could become part of Division programs.
Regards,
Catherine
Mackay
GP Liaison
West Vic Division of General Practice
c.mackay@westvicdiv.asn.au
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