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13 Sep 2011

Question 3: What obstacles will pharmacists face in delivering the NMS?

What you said: The Senate survey revealed widespread concerns over implementing the service. Pharmacists cited a lack of time, lack of patient awareness and pressure to hit targets as key obstacles to its success.

What the Senators said: The practicalities of the service sparked debate among the Senators, who foresaw different obstacles for pharmacy teams. Ms Lau argued that pharmacists would need to change their way of working. "There's quite a lot going on and the workload isn't going to lighten," she warned, stressing that pharmacists must use their teams more effectively. "This is the time now for people to start delegating more to their staff, because the value of the team is immense."

And communicating with GPs was a clear priority for other Senators, who believed doctors could promote awareness. "We need to get GPs on board," stressed Mr Vaitha. "That will be a key thing and if you get their backing, then they can send patients your way and it will take some of the pressure off pharmacists." But Mr Michaels worried that GPs wouldn't be "as engaged as we would like them to be".

What the negotiator said: Mr Buxton agreed GPs were integral to the success of the NMS. "GPs absolutely do need to support the service," he told the Senate. "It's important for them to be aware of the service, which is yet another lesson we've learned from MURs. We must communicate with GP practices to ensure this does happen this time, because it didn't always happen with MURs." Mr Buxton added: "We shouldn't underestimate the effect GPs' views could have both in terms of driving people to the service and influencing future negotiations."

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Annamalai, Superintendent
Posted on 20 September 2011.
Why leave all the hard work to Pharmacists. DOH should have comminicated about this service to GP's. And make a simple step change where GPs will sign post patients to pharmacists when issuing a new medicine suitable for NMS. job done. This will solve the biggest obstacle we all community pharmacist will face .. how to identify a script for suitable new medicine. Why is that it has to pharmacist who have to do all the work and infact not get paid untill you carry out a certain number of NMS. There is a possibility a pharmacist will never get paid for this service in the whole year if he just miss the minimum number by one NMS..
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D S, Community pharmacist
Posted on 25 September 2011.
First and foremost, this is not a new thing. As a responsible pharmacist, you always ask if this is the first time they had the medicine, looking at the MPR record. If the answer is yes then you advice appropriately before giving out the medicine. But, the most apalling thing here is all the donkey's work is put on the pharmacist with carrot dangling in front. Any smart will know for sure he is not going to get the carrot, and hence may not put the effort of commissioning the service. In essence the service may take off well then decline or drop dead when the payments mismatch with the resources used in executing the service.

For a starter, in which textbook or practice you will ever have a target for something that is not tangible ??? How can a pharmacy predict how many prescriptions for a new medicine will they receive in a month, based on which they will have to plan the resources ??? Second point, all the effort goes in vain if the patient doesn't turn up or refuses the service in the last step ??? What about the floating patients with new medicine ??? they may sign in, as it is free, when they are dispensed for the first time and never turn up for the follow up. How many people have time to re-visit or take a phone call from the pharmacist ever 7 or 14 days asking questions about their medicines, just so that the pharmacists get paid for it ??? All complicated. I can only see this as one more ploy in the effort of disregarding the pharmacy profession. It is so formulated to fail and then put the complete blame on the pharmacists for the failure, ultimately resulting in some more cuts.
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D S, Community pharmacist
Posted on 25/09/11 11:13 in reply to dwarakanath shanbhag.
Correction : PMR record
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