The Pharmacy Guild of Australia

Health budget has big changes – reviving our worn-out Medicare fee-for-service system and boosting bulk billing

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

The big news on budget night was a tripling of the bulk-billing incentive, a key plank to strengthen Medicare.

Key Points: 
  • The big news on budget night was a tripling of the bulk-billing incentive, a key plank to strengthen Medicare.
  • Bulk billing is unevenly distributed and in some low-income areas (bulk-billing deserts) fewer than 50% of people have all their GP attendances bulk billed.
  • Practice owners could simply pocket the increased incentive for patients who are already bulk billed, leaving bulk billing rates unchanged.

1. Primary care is now a priority

    • Typically, health budgets are focused on hospitals, with primary care an afterthought, or worse: the target of budget cuts.
    • In the lead up to the budget, Health Minister Butler emphasised the centrality of primary care to the health system.

2. Funding the plan to strength Medicare

    • Health Minister Butler signalled the focus on primary care as one of his first acts when he appointed the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce, which I was a member of.
    • Read more:
      New Medicare reforms won't fix everything but they start to tackle the system's biggest problems

      A key challenge for primary care policy is the reliance on fee-for-service payments.

    • Team-based health care The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce also recommended more multi-disciplinary or team-based primary care, involving nurses, physiotherapists and a range of other health providers and administrative supports.
    • The increased funding in this budget will reward that past behaviour, making these practices more viable, as well as encouraging an expansion in other practices.

3. Extended prescription dispensing length

    • The third budget change, announced in April, reduces prescription costs for medications by extending prescription quantities to two rather than one month’s supply for many common medications.
    • It doubles the amount of medication that may be dispensed under a single prescription, reducing patient co-payments and dispensing fees paid to pharmacists.

4. Digital health time bomb

    • The Strengthening Medicare Taskforce identified contemporary digital health capacity as essential for a modern health system.
    • Yet peculiarly, the previous government did not provide funding for the Digital Health Agency and My Health Record on an ongoing basis.

What’s missing?

    • Although funding has been provided for more budget time bombs – programs which otherwise would have ended – and funding for additional places in psychology courses, mental health reform is still a work in progress.
    • The government has recognised this gap, titling its mental health budget announcement “laying the groundwork”.
    • It signals a new priority for primary care and provides a new foundation for funding reform for the future.

Here's why pharmacists are angry at script changes – and why the government is making them anyway

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

This change is expected to halve the cost of prescriptions for six million Australians.

Key Points: 
  • This change is expected to halve the cost of prescriptions for six million Australians.
  • take advice around medicine supply and medicine shortages from our medicines authorities rather than the pharmacy lobby group.
  • This government is using its political capital to push health reform forward and doesn’t seem afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

What is the Pharmacy Guild of Australia?

    • It acts like a union for community pharmacy (also known as chemists) owners.
    • It provides resources to help pharmacists improve their small businesses, but most of its membership value comes from advocating for community pharmacy owners.
    • Known as Community Pharmacy Agreements, the first was signed in 1990, while the most recent seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement was signed in 2020.

How does the guild wield its power?

    • It has a reputation for shaping government health policy envied by many a health care peak body.
    • The guild also takes a more direct approach to influencing government policy.
    • The Australian Electoral Commission reported the guild was the 13th largest political donor in 2021–22, donating $578,000 to political parties across 88 separate donations.

What policies has the guild influenced?

    • The guild convinced the government to provide community pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesalers with an extra $225 million in the 2017–18 budget because prescription volumes were lower than expected within the sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement.
    • Read more:
      What is the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and why does it wield so much power?

What are the Pharmacy Location Rules?

    • The Pharmacy Location Rules are an agreement between the Australian government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
    • The Pharmacy Location Rules do not allow new pharmacies to open within 1.5 kilometres or 10 kilometres of an existing pharmacy depending on the location, distance to the nearest pharmacy, and the number of supermarkets and medical practitioners in the area.
    • The Pharmacy Location Rules were introduced in the first Community Pharmacy Agreement to help larger pharmacies generate efficiencies and profit through scale.
    • Upon further lobbying, the Pharmacy Location Rules sunset clause was removed after the guild formed a Pharmacy Compact with the government in 2017.

Pharmacy policies that benefit consumers

    • Community pharmacists are increasingly providing services traditionally delivered by GPs.
    • This push towards greater scope of practice is embedded in the current and prior Community Pharmacy Agreements.
    • It outlined ways to improve pharmacy competition in a government submission, which included removing Pharmacy Location Rules and getting pharmacies to compete on medicine prices through discounting.

What does this all mean for patients?

    • Savings will be used to further expand the scope of practice for pharmacists, potentially informed by a National Scope of Practice Review to start in 2023.
    • It has already canvassed 2,500 “voters” across Australia on the budget proposal.
    • In the coming whirlwind of power struggles, wouldn’t it be nice if the government and providers worked together to put the patient first?

AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Guild Insurance Limited

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 28, 2023

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Guild Insurance Limited (GIL) (Australia).

Key Points: 
  • AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Guild Insurance Limited (GIL) (Australia).
  • For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings .
  • For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments .
  • AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry.

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Stable for Guild Insurance Limited

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 8, 2022

In addition, the ratings factor in no rating lift or drag from the companys ultimate ownership by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGOA).

Key Points: 
  • In addition, the ratings factor in no rating lift or drag from the companys ultimate ownership by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGOA).
  • AM Best expects the release of GILs provisions to bolster its regulatory solvency and risk-adjusted capitalisation in fiscal year 2022.
  • AM Best views GILs operating performance as adequate, with an average return-on-equity ratio (after tax) of 1.8% (fiscal years 2017-2021).
  • AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry.

BestRx Now Partnering with Pharmacy Providers of Oklahoma and RxLinc

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 22, 2021

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BestRx Pharmacy Software provides complete solutions for independent retail pharmacies.

Key Points: 
  • OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BestRx Pharmacy Software provides complete solutions for independent retail pharmacies.
  • Today, BestRx is proud to announce their partnership with Pharmacy Providers of Oklahoma, Inc. (PPOk & RxLinc).
  • PPOk is led by community pharmacy, for community pharmacy.
  • For PPOk & RxLinc, BestRx checks all the boxes for a pharmacy software solution that our members can depend on.

Transaction Data Systems Acquires KloudScript, a Cloud-Based Specialty Pharmacy Solution

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Transaction Data Systems (TDS), the leader in pharmacy software solutions for the community pharmacy market, today announced the acquisition of KloudScript, a specialty pharmacy care solution.

Key Points: 
  • Transaction Data Systems (TDS), the leader in pharmacy software solutions for the community pharmacy market, today announced the acquisition of KloudScript, a specialty pharmacy care solution.
  • Currently 39% of community pharmacies dispense some sort of specialty medications, according the National Community Pharmacy Association.
  • This acquisition further cements TDSs leadership position in the independent pharmacy market and demonstrates our commitment to delivering the most clinically focused solution suite for community pharmacy.
  • KloudScripts cloud-based solution and specialty services provide community pharmacists advanced tools to coordinate benefits, provide patient education, and promote adherence.

Pharmacy Reimbursement Modernization Needed, Report from NACDS, NCPA, NASP Says

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Assuring access to pharmacy services is critical for maintaining patient health and for preventing more expensive forms of care.

Key Points: 
  • Assuring access to pharmacy services is critical for maintaining patient health and for preventing more expensive forms of care.
  • These dispensing fees are separate from the reimbursement for the medication product itself and from care coordination and other pharmacy care services.
  • The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) is the only national association representing all stakeholders in the specialty pharmacy industry.
  • With over 125 corporate members and 2000 individual members, NASP is the unified voice of specialty pharmacy in the United States.

WEED Inc., The FIRST American Cannabis Public Company “Down Under” is Honored to Present & Speak at the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s National Conference “Pharmacy Connect 2019”

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 26, 2019

WEED Australia Ltd., w/non-profit arm, The Cannabis Institute of Australia, are sponsors at the Pharmacy Guild of Australias national conference Pharmacy Connect.

Key Points: 
  • WEED Australia Ltd., w/non-profit arm, The Cannabis Institute of Australia, are sponsors at the Pharmacy Guild of Australias national conference Pharmacy Connect.
  • Mr. Martin continues, WEED speaker session sponsorship for The Guilds Pharmacy Connect was developed to meet the needs of Australias health professionals.
  • As WEEDs representative, I look to clarify as many of the medical Cannabis issues that Australia needs answers to.
  • WEED Australia Ltd. and The Cannabis Institute of Australia agrees with Kos Sclavos AM, Vice President the Queensland branch pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations Help Support Independent Pharmacies in Patient Care Excellence

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 15, 2019

For community pharmacists, this is where a Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO) can help by providing operational support that allows pharmacies to focus on customer service.

Key Points: 
  • For community pharmacists, this is where a Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO) can help by providing operational support that allows pharmacies to focus on customer service.
  • The 2018 NCPA Digest found independent pharmacies are increasingly providing services such as immunizations, blood pressure monitoring, and medication therapy management and adherence.
  • Partnerships for Better Business examines a PSAOs ability to help independent pharmacies cater to their customers, drive clinical improvement and boost quality by:
    Serving over 2,300 independent pharmacies in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Pharmacy First provides services and support to keep its members competitive in an evolving market.
  • Pharmacy First eases the administrative overhead of independent pharmacy operations by assisting with credentialing, third-party contract management and reconciliation, quality assurance, medication adherence services and more.