Palliative Care Australia (PCA) and The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (Guild) have committed to work together to facilitate better outcomes for people receiving palliative care and their families and carers.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed today outlining the following objectives:
- To share knowledge, skills and resources in the development and implementation of innovative approaches to improve and appropriately support the community pharmacy role in providing care to patients with a life-limiting illness
- To establish a collaborative approach to address inefficiencies in palliative care provision within the context of community pharmacy’s role
- To monitor and review partnership and activity outcomes
The MOU says that in recognising the important, and enhanced role that community pharmacy has and can have in assisting Australians receiving palliative care along with their families and carers, PCA and the Guild make a commitment to the following activities:
- Develop position statements relevant to each organisation regarding palliative care and community pharmacies
- Promote palliative care related continuing professional development for community pharmacists, including grief and bereavement support and end-of-life discussions
- Enhance intra-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary support and awareness of the full scope of practice for community pharmacists within palliative care
- Collaboratively scope identified opportunities to address medicines access and medicines management issues for people receiving palliation within the community and residential care
- Advocate for appropriate remuneration of palliative care activities within the community pharmacy
- Guild support of palliative care related health promotions including National Palliative Care Week and PCA conference.
- PCA support of Guild related health promotions
PCA and the Guild acknowledge that they are not entering into a legal partnership, joint venture or other such business arrangement nor is the undertaking for monetary gain.
The MOU takes effect immediately and will remain in place until 30 June 2020 with the option for renewal for a further period at that time.
PCA is the national peak body for palliative care in Australia providing leadership on palliative care policy and community engagement. Working closely with consumers, its member organisations and the palliative care and broader health workforce, PCA aims to improve the quality of life and death for people with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers.
The Guild is a national employers’ organisation with 90 years of experience representing and promoting the value of the role of community pharmacy in the Australian health care system.
