What have our readers been saying about the key stories affecting pharmacy over the last week?
Congratulations to Catherine Bronger and the leadership at the Pharmacy Guild for finally standing up to the short sighted bureaucrats in Canberra. They have no idea of what it is like to be a frontline health professional. Patients can expect to be restricted to their homes for the next 3 months, so the Government needs to allow pharmacist to make a greater contribution by removing unnecessary restrictions and paperwork to support patients isolated in their homes.
I was disappointed by the Federal Minister of Health’s response to a question about the reskilling of retired Doctor’s, Nurses and Pharmacists on the ABC yesterday. He seemed to intentionally omit Pharmacists in his response. This response suggests that he does not see the value of Pharmacists on the frontline. The Health Minister should be asked to clarify his views on the role of Community Pharmacy in the Covid pandemic.
If we are restricting the public to their homes, then we need to find ways to look after them. Doctors are reimbursed for telehealth, while pharmacists are not. Let pharmacists do more to help the Australian public by suspending unnecessary regulations and eliminating excessive red tape (like the documentation for PBS home deliveries). If Government can fund free childcare during the pandemic, why can’t they eliminate or at least reduce patient copayments?
Michael Ortiz
‘It is about keeping pharmacists alive’
Well said. And not just pharmacists, support staff are also in front line and getting paid less than you can now sitting at home in safety, or stacking a supermarket shelf.
I have heard of casuals not wanting a shift. Why put yourself and your family at risk for less than $24 an hour?
Hazard pay needs to be introduced to encourage employment or some form of tax incentive.
Locum services calling out, but haven’t seen hazard pay rates like $90 an hour for pharmacist. Like working in an underground mine or oil rig.
Philip Smith