The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) has released its election manifesto one month out from the election, calling on politicians to prioritise and protect community pharmacy and the sector’s vital role in primary healthcare.
“Community pharmacy is the front door to the primary healthcare system, especially in rural communities, after-hours, on weekends, and for patients struggling to access timely GP appointments. More than 1.65 million patients visit community pharmacy every month”, says Guild Chief Executive, Glenn Mills.
“Pharmacies have been underfunded for too long. Community pharmacy’s viability is at risk without a significant ‘catch up’ and a process to ensure future funding increases meet costs. Pharmacies and pharmacists need to be funded to continue, and to grow, the vital role they play supporting patients and reducing pressure on other parts of the health system.
“Pharmacists are highly accessible, highly trained and highly trusted healthcare professionals. Pharmacists can do more, if they are funded to support this role expansion. This could include treating common, long-term, and acute conditions, and continuing and initiating medicines.
“Pharmacy is also facing changes to pharmacy ownership regulations that serve patients well. Current regulations protect community pharmacy from becoming a monopoly or duopoly and prevent service withdrawal, with corporate owners focused on profits and retail sales and offering less services.
“We also continue to advocate for a sustainable national contracting approach for community pharmacy contracts. This would help pharmacies to retain staff and invest in new services and technology, knowing the process for securing and keeping a contract is fair and consistent countrywide.
“Delivering the four priorities in our election manifesto will ensure community pharmacy is financially sustainable and able to continue to support their patients”, says Mr Mills.
Guild’s four election manifesto priorities:
- Maintain majority pharmacist ownership of community pharmacies
- Sustainably fund community pharmacy – and address years of chronic underfunding
- Implement a national contracting policy for access to a pharmacy funding agreement
- Enable community pharmacists to do more and invest to ensure this continues.
Read our full election manifesto here.