Positive and Negative Aspects of a Possible Expansion of the Pharmacists’ Scope of Practice to Include the Health Checks in Australia

The Australian healthcare system has been evolving since the beginning of the colonisation of Australia. Today, Australia has an extremely efficient healthcare system although it still has several issues. The influencing factors, structure, and current issues of the Australian healthcare system will be throughly discussed and explained in this essay.

In the UK, there are more than 1 billion scripts prescribed and dispensed every year (HSCIC, 2013). There are over 12,000 pharmacies in the UK, and approximately 1.6 million people visit a pharmacy every day (HSCIC, 2013). It is therefore natural to assume that between these 1 billion prescriptions, an error or mistake will be made. Current studies suggest that of all the dispensed medicines, there are approximately 0.01-3.32% errors made in community pharmacy and 0.02-2.7% in hospital pharmacy (James et all, 2009).

The primary care practice is essential to improve the care of our population, our current system is fragmented, but it does show potential for improvement. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has listed some areas that will help improve our system. One is “the need for external infrastructure to help primary care practices develop quality improvement” this is done with support to the quality capacity (Agency For Healthcare Research and Quality, 2015). Quality care will include the coordination of care within the system, as well as understanding what needs the patient will have

One area where access to care is a problem is in the rural communities. Healthcare professionals including physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses all affect the quality and cost of care (Derksen, & Whelan, 2009). Going forward importance needs to be placed on using recourses more efficiently and effectively; these resources include but are not limited to tests, prescriptions,

Primary health care is the first point of access and entry point into the Australian health care system. An effective primary health care system 'gives priority to those most in need and addresses health inequalities; maximises community and individual self-reliance, participation and control; and involves collaboration and partnership with other sectors to promote public health. ' (APHCRI, 2009 p.22)

Primary Health care offers integrated, easy to access health services by professionals who are accountable for seeing to a vast majority of individual health care needs and are supported by an integrated referral system. WHO (2003) Primary Health care is the initial stage of contact with the health systems for most Australians. Primary health care is to keep people well, to manage health care needs and prevent people from having to go to hospital PHCRIS (2016). Types of services provided by primary health care are health promotion, prevention and screening, early intervention, treatment and management. There are also services for specific population such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people, older persons, youth health, maternity and child health and refugees, they also provide but are not limited to services such as oral health, drugs and alcohol services, sexual health, obesity, diabetes and mental

This guidance can be used alongside the NHS Health Check programme, the national vascular risk assessment and management programme for those aged 40–74. This is an integrated approach to identifying and preventing four diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and kidney disease (NHS Health Check Programme, 2009). The programme is being rolled out throughout England. The aim is to ensure everyone aged 40–74 who has not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions is offered a risk assessment and given advice and support to help them reduce and manage that risk.

“The Australian health care system is a highly functioning and accessible system based on universal principles of access and equity”.

al., 2011). Health service accessibility by individuals in rural and remote areas is a problem central to both countries. Reports indicate that compared with metropolitan populations, non-metropolitan populations, in both Australia and the UK, experience poor access to health services (Watt, Franks, Sheldon, 1994, p. 16). As in the primary care sector of the UK, majority of the doctors in Australia are self-employed and reimbursed on a fee-for-service approach (Gillies, 2003, p. 77). GP’s are the initial point of contact for patients in both Australia and the UK. Additional specialist medical services such as physiotherapy and optometry are only available when patients are provided with a formal referral from their GPs (Piterman, Koritsas, 2005). Although the NHS is similar to the Australian health system in certain ways, both systems also possess some differences.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Australia, affects 22% of the Australian population. Targeting this health

Wellness Visit. If you are on Medicare for more than 12 months, you are entitled to what is known as a “Wellness” visit free of charge. This visit is an annual benefit and takes place at your family doctor.

These programs can be successful when applied but without a physician being required to participate they can be unuseful as it leads to lack of accurate information for public health records. Doctors and pharmacist should both have a legal obligation to check a drug monitoring database and participate further in drug monitoring programs. Doctors and pharmacies should also be investigated for prescribing large quantity of prescription medication resulting in legal action if perhaps they are found guilty of overprescribing. With legislators onboard to curb the misuse of prescription medication this problem can finally be

Australia is widely regarded as having a world-class national pharmaceutical reimbursement scheme that plays an important role in ensuring access to medicines. However over recent decades with new drugs emerging, the costs of these drugs are considerably expensive, especially if they are not on the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS). Today in modern society with the advances in technology and medicine, many people expect miracle cures of illnesses and diseases, but are unaware of the cost. As detailed in the ABC’s Four Corners program, the cost of cures is not available of the public health care system and for some; large amounts of money for treatments will only buy them time. About 100 cancer drugs are now subsidised under the PBS, at a cost of almost $1.2 billion to taxpayers in 2012-13, and those costs are rising (ABC TV, 2013: 1m 55s). Expenditure on cancer drugs has risen 44 per cent in the past five years, up from $830 million in 2008-09. The cost pressures are set to increase with drug companies saying they have about 100 new cancer medicines in late-stage development. The excessive costs of cancer treatments emphasises the division of class and power in society, with those with more money only able to afford these treatments. Along with this, medical dominance is highlighted, with people becoming reliant on cancer treatments and new cancer treating drugs. Amongst these issues, ethics is being affected by these costly treatments and many people are refusing to

National Pharmacies is medical organisation, located on 83 Jetty Road, Glenelg. This store is primarily focused on providing and promoting a healthy well being to the community as well as creating the ultimate vision of a healthier nation. National Pharmacies had first opened in 1911 in South Australia, under the trading name of Friendly Society Association (FMA), as a single dispensary and it now lets customers access our membership discounts, personalised customer service and a large selection of products in store. Since 1998 November 30th, National Pharmacies had branched out interstate with over 52 pharmacies in Victoria and NSW. There are over 52 pharmacies in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, with 20 Optical stores operating

Australia is one of the developed countries that have a growing ageing population, and this has a decided impact on the Australian Health System and Services, which is in fact expected to increase in the future. "...the increase in certain risk factors and the prolonging of life due to improvements in medical interventions, the prevalence of chronic disease is expected to increase in the future (Key indicators of progress for chronic disease and associated determinants, 2011, p. 1). An alarming statistic that should be taken into account is that, "...it is estimated that chronic diseases currently account for 70% of the total burden of ill health in Australia, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years, and this is expected to increase to 80%