Health Minister Sussan Ley has toured a health care practice featuring integrated pharmacy services and given it the thumbs up.
Minister Ley thanked an “impressive” lineup of health professionals, including pharmacy, after visiting Camp Hill Healthcare to see integrated GP-pharmacist care in practice.
PSA CEO Lance Emerson told the AJP that the Minister was interested in seeing how the GP-pharmacist model works in the community.
“She’d been wanting to visit Chris Freeman’s practice for some time, and this was an opportunity for her to see how the practice works, to understand the model and to talk through what it means for patient health,” Dr Emerson says.
Thanks @sussanley for visiting CampHill Healthcare with @topherfreeman seeing integrated GPpharmacist care firsthand pic.twitter.com/DpAjvnpjyr
— Lance Emerson (@Lance_PSA) August 17, 2016
Impressive line up of doctors nurses and allied health. And pharmacy! Thanks to all for showing me the model of care https://t.co/1wp5vRRitn
— Sussan Ley (@sussanley) August 17, 2016
Dr Emerson says that a pharmacist embedded as part of a primary health care team within a GP practice assists not only those in the practice but also the patients.
“What we know is that this is leading to improved health of those patients and allowing for future integrated and collaborative care,” he told the AJP.
“We certainly believe this model should be scaled up, and we’ve been promoting that for some time to the Federal Government and others.
“There’s strong evidence internationally that demonstrates it’s good for patients, it’s good for GPs and it’s also good for local community pharmacy.
“Based on the overseas experience, we see improved referral through to community pharmacy and a stronger role for it where there is a GP pharmacist in the area.”