Editorial
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Volume 2012 Number 1
Health Politics
Neil Johnston: Friends of Science in Medicine
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Editorial for February 2010
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Introducing current ideas, perspectives and issues, to the profession of pharmacy | |
Welcome to the February 2010 edition of i2P – Information to Pharmacists E-Magazine. It has been extremely hot and humid in northern NSW where this publication is put together, and I can assure you that this weather has made it quite difficult to concentrate on this production.
But I have finally arrived at the transmission point, and we do have a range of interesting news and opinion items for you this month.
The Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement negotiations are off to a smooth start between PGA and the federal government, with the drip-feeding of some basic agreements creating some degree of certainty for Pharmacy.
Of concern is the loss of 40c per script item under PBS online, offset by 15c per script if dispensing is performed by eRx..
The word incentive comes to mind, but this is more akin to bribery so that the PGA can leverage an unbeatable market share in IT systems.
And the PGA must be salivating at the negotiating strength that gives it and the returns that may come their way through sale of aggregated data. This is not supposed to ever happen - but come on, get a dose of reality.
There has been little transparency in the whole process and the government must have been complicit in decisions to date in abandoning their own attempt at a similar system and cutting off the GP Medisecure system.
No wonder the PGA is giving away “free transactions”.
But what happens when the charging per script starts in earnest.
I hope PGA members look beyond the current activities and give their executive hell when the full extend of the various back door decisions become evident.
We note that all the potent press releases occurred early in January while everyone was asleep or on holidays.
Of more concern is that NEHTA have been given another $200 million plus to squander on whatever they do - nobody can work it out!
Most of it seems to be diverted to protecting themselves from valid criticism from the David More blog, a small portion of which is run through i2P each month.
Nicola Roxon has expressed publicly her satisfaction with Medicare and NEHTA as they steer the e-health ship towards fruition.
But underneath I am sure she is experiencing panic attacks as NEHTA continues along is merry, apparently unaccountable, way.
All our columnists are back and I suggest you start your read of i2P by working your way down the list, then a look at our opinion writers, Pharmedia and on to the news items.
Our clinical newsfeed is always up to date delivering dynamic medical news in real time.
Always check it out..
There is a representation of Australian research reports for your interest, and the items that can contribute towards practice development are also worth a read.
Who knows what 2010 is going to bring, but one thing you can be sure of is that it will definitely be an interesting year with perhaps quite a few frustrations.
Neil Johnston
February 1 2010
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Research Reports
Dr Andrew Byrne & Associates: Tranquillizer use rife amongst OTP subjects world-wide, most legally prescribedPractice Development
Neil Retallick: Are the discounters impacting community pharmacy beyond margin erosion? | open full screen
Kay Dunkley - BPharm, Grad Dip Hosp Pharm, Grad Dip Health Admin, MPS, MSHPA: Support services for pharmacists and doctors in the United Kingdom – Part 3 Royal Medical Benevolent Fund | open full screen
Staff Writer: Catch the early wave in 2012 and secure your valuable CPD Credits at the Guild Pharmacy Academy – NSW Convention | open full screen
Information Technology
Dr David More: Australian Health Information Technology LinksIndigenous Health
Preventive Medicine
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