The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) welcomes attendees to its sector-wide roundtable today in Canberra, bringing together over 20 pharmacy, practitioner representatives, medical, health and consumer groups from across the country to shape an upcoming agreement on pharmacy programs with the Australian Government.
Announced in January 2025, the forthcoming agreement will be the first dedicated agreement on pharmacy programs, focusing on a range of pharmacy programs that no longer sit within the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement, including but not limited to medication management programs (including Home Medicines Reviews and Residential Medication Management Reviews), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific programs, and rural support programs that encompass pharmacists in a range of practice areas.
The new agreement will see PSA and the Commonwealth work together, alongside other pharmacy and the wider health stakeholders, to strengthen programs that pharmacists deliver across the health system.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS said today’s roundtable was an important collaborative process to ensure pharmacy programs evolve in ways that reflect the needs of the health system, the profession, and most importantly, the patients pharmacists serve.
“PSA is proud to lead this process on behalf of our profession, bringing together stakeholders from across the pharmacy sector, government, and the broader health system to share ideas, priorities and expertise,” Associate Professor Sim said.
“As the peak body for all pharmacists, across all areas of practice, PSA is driving a collaborative, inclusive process that brings together key stakeholder groups and government partners through a collaborative engagement approach. We all want the same outcome – to optimise program delivery for the benefit of the patients we serve.
“We are also committed to hearing directly from pharmacists who are delivering these services every day. Our national consultation process includes direct engagement with practising pharmacists, including a survey now open to gather frontline feedback on individual programs. The sector-wide roundtable today is only part of the overall consultation approach PSA is undertaking.”
The roundtable builds on PSA’s long-standing commitment to genuine collaboration with government, sector leaders and the pharmacy profession to ensure services are fit-for-purpose, evidence-based and sustainable into the future.
“Pharmacists are stepping up in every corner of the country,” Associate Professor Sim said.
“Our programs must evolve to support high-quality, accessible care for all Australians.”
