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
No surprise Greg Hunt doesn’t understand the roles of our allied health family. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but he has no qualifications in health to my knowledge? Nor experience in healthcare
He’s way behind schedule on the new CPA, has been far too slow to act in the covid situation and now this. I had little faith in him before, this has just cemented his status as a clown in my eyes
I should clarify, It doesn’t bother me too much that we’re perpetually forgotten and our efforts largely go unnoticed. However, I know so many incredible pharmacists who are working considerable overtime in particularly stressful situations, who are at high risk of exposure due to widespread shortage of PPE, but keep working and serving their community in this trialling time despite the risks
Yet he can’t see the value of our profession?
And that could be extended to numerous allied health professions, support workers and other essential workers.
I can’t see the value of a health minister who not only evidently does not understand the roles we and our colleagues in numerous other allied health professions; but doesnt support healthcare workers when we need it most. If anything in his case the term health minister is an oxymoron
well said