Joint PSA-CPA conference to discuss global pharmacy issues
Pharmacists will be able to attend a global conference jointly hosted by Australia’s peak national body for pharmacists, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) in 2017.
Following the highly successful PSA16 event held in Sydney in July, which attracted around 900 delegates including many overseas pharmacists, PSA is delighted to partner with the CPA to jointly host the PSA17 conference in Sydney from July 28 to 30, 2017.
The CPA is an organisation of Commonwealth professional pharmaceutical bodies and individual members, dedicated to promoting and disseminating the pharmaceutical sciences throughout the Commonwealth and improving the quality and range of services offered by pharmacists.
The three-day conference – embracing the popular theme of Leading Pharmacy Innovation – will be held at Darling Harbour in Sydney and will include a range of engaging panel sessions as well as high-profile international guest speakers and experts.
PSA National President Joe Demarte said PSA was delighted to partner with the CPA, which has members from the Commonwealth of Nations throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific.
“This joint conference will be a fantastic opportunity to highlight and discuss key issues affecting pharmacists in Australia and right across the Commonwealth giving it a truly global perspective,” Mr Demarte said.
“We look forward to developing an exciting program with a range of world-class experts and speakers on pharmacist and pharmacy issues.”
CPA President Raymond Anderson said the organisation was looking forward to jointly presenting the conference with PSA.
“CPA has a very strong membership base in Australia and we believe this is an excellent opportunity to highlight and discuss key issues affecting pharmacists working in Australia and across the Commonwealth,” Mr Anderson said.
“We will be working closely with PSA in the coming months to develop an exciting and comprehensive program of plenary sessions and workshops – I urge all pharmacists from across Australia and neighbouring Commonwealth countries to attend.”
Some of the many overseas delegates expected to attend PSA17 will be from the UK, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean.
An example of future pharmacy
Innovative and collaborative healthcare services are integral parts of the future for pharmacy in Australia and Perth Diabetes Care (PDC) at East Victoria Park in Western Australia is leading the way.
The peak national body for pharmacists, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) today congratulated PDC on reaching its first birthday.
PSA National President Joe Demarte said the multidisciplinary clinic for people living with diabetes established by pharmacist and credentialed diabetes educator and former PSA Young Pharmacist of the Year, Teresa Di Franco and her partner, pharmacist Jeffery Au, is a glimpse into the future of how 21st Century pharmacies will serve their communities.
“These sorts of innovations are what is required to enable brighter career paths for pharmacists in assisting people in their communities to self-manage their medical condition – in this case diabetes.” Mr Demarte said.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has estimated that one in five Australians live with multiple chronic diseases and 50 per cent of Australian live with at least one chronic disease.
“The best way Australian communities can effectively manage growing levels of chronic disease is by health care professionals collaborating to ensure the best health outcomes for their patients.
“A year ago Teresa and her partner took a bold step by opening the PDC using a multidisciplinary model. Twelve months later her courage and faith has paid off.’
“At a time when pharmacists and pharmacy are under the microscope of the Review of Pharmacy Remuneration and Regulation, the PDC is an excellent example of what pharmacists can do to provide patient-centred care.”
Mr Demarte said that Ms Di Franco, who is also PSA WA President, has a strong personal interest in diabetes that comes from witnessing the problems faced by family members with diabetes.
“Theresa has found what she is passionate about in her pharmacy career and created a vehicle to pursue that passion,” Mr Demarte said.
New Health Care Homes report applauded by pharmacists
August 3, 2016
Pharmacists have welcomed a new report outlining a set of recommendations to guide the planning and implementation of the Health Care Home (HCH) in Australia, the peak national body for pharmacists, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) said today.
The major report resulted from an expert Roundtable on ramping up the Federal Government’s HCH plans to drive a fundamental shift in Australia’s health services toward patient-focused, community based health care “hubs” coordinating care.
PSA National President Joe Demarte said: “We welcome the report’s strong focus on collaborative, comprehensive and coordinated care, as the international models in which significant benefits have been demonstrated involve GP-led care teams that use an expanded staffing model in which nurses, pharmacists and others assume greater care management roles than is currently the case in Australia.”
Following PSA’s contribution to the development of key recommendations in the report, Mr Demarte said: “Pharmacists have a key role in optimising medication regimens, increasing medicines safety and facilitating appropriate transitional care to improve the health outcomes for patients with chronic and complex conditions.
“Including a pharmacist in the HCH team has the potential to reduce poly-pharmacy, potentially preventable medication-related hospital admissions and readmissions, leading to a reduction of overall primary care expenditure and significant savings to the broader health sector.”
Additionally, Mr Demarte said PSA supported the strong patient focus of the recommendations including:
- Implement changes to enable assessment and provision of care through a mix of face to face, phone and email consultations with GPs, practice nurses and other care team members.
- Support patients to be active members of the health care team and to monitor their care experience
- Design a payment system to support patient-centred health care homes, that is quality-focused, rewards effective care, accounts for rurality and socio-economic disadvantage and avoids adverse incentives like under-treatment, cost-shifting and cream skimming.
“PSA urges the Federal Government to consider the recommendations outlined in the report to ensure that the upcoming pilot of Health Care Homes in Australia enable patients to access the right care at the right time, regardless of setting,” Mr Demarte said