Editorial

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Welcome to the first homepage edition of i2P for 2012.
In many ways it has been a slow start to the New Year because of having to deal with the “leftovers” from 2011.
One of those items for i2P was that a third-party provider to the site did not advise of a code change to the security section in our subscribe panel, creating a range of frustrated subscribers not able to get on board.
We apologise to all those potential subscribers who were unable to register with us in the second half of 2011, but if you try once more you should have no problem.

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Volume 2012 Number 1

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Minister Roxon's Style

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	Staff Writer articles by this author...
Editing and Researching news and stories about global and local Pharmacy Issues

When I read articles such as the one following, it really sets up a feeling of resentment.
The haphazard management processes of the Dept. of Health and Ageing (DoHA) as illustrated, means that there is little research or care being invested in their processes, so that policies, communications and actual programs are simply not believable or capable of being delivered.
While the article certainly has a bias, it does have the ring of authenticity about it as it was written by one of the "insiders" within the DoHA.
Follow the writer's amusement when he learns that the DoHA has come in under budget, which to staffers means "training" - a euphemism for an uninhibited spend on conferences in exotic places.
Recent calls by Minister Roxon to further reduce costs within the PBS will effectively reduce the viability of pharmacy by stripping out its profitability base. They sound very hollow when compared to the largesse generated within her own department.
It also appears that faulty extrapolation of the figures contained in the Intergenerational report released in late 2009 caused this decision.
Accident or deliberately engineered?
You go figure.
And this on top of a mighty effort by pharmacists to bring the PBS back into a manageable condition under the Fourth Agreement, certainly sends a message of unfairness throughout the pharmacy community.
And it also appears that accountability seems to have been left behind by Minister Roxon as illustrated by the manner by which people are hired and fired, ministerial visits to various communities arbitrarily cancelled and the shallow depth of information transmitted by press release and the paucity of research overall.
"Yes Minister" is certainly alive and well and readers are encouraged to follow the full story through the link provided.

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Yes Minister meets Alice in Wonderland

MYLES PETERSON - The Australian

February 21, 2010

Midway through last year I was head-hunted by the federal Department of Health and Ageing to write speeches for their ministers - a surprise as I had no experience or qualifications. As far as the department was aware, my limited skills were derived from reviewing video games for The Canberra Times.
Perplexed and amused, I dusted off the suit and attended my one and only interview. ''I'll be writing speeches for who?''

''Minister Roxon,'' answered my interviewer.

''And you're going to pay me how much?''

''Eighty thousand a year. Will that be enough?''

So began my journey down the public service rabbit-hole. I would soon learn that swine flu and a raid on staff by another department were to thank for my recruitment.

Compounding the staffing crisis was a high turnover rate. A recent survey had revealed staff satisfaction was the lowest of any section, for any department, anywhere. I pondered the figures as they stared down at me from a huge poster, plastered opposite my new desk.

''What does that 35 per cent mean?'' I asked a colleague. There was no answer, a response I would get used to.

I was given my first speech to write. I was not given an induction, training, an occupational health and safety lecture, a security clearance, a standard operating procedures manual, a style guide or anything you would expect when starting a job with the federal government of Australia.

As promised, the speech was for Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing. The topic was macular degeneration and I was instructed to mention Ita Buttrose. Despite being completely lost, without an inkling of how to proceed, I quickly learnt not to ask any questions. Nobody would answer them with anything other than an annoyed glare or dismissive quip.

I wrote the speech. I muddled my way through the maze of acronyms that indicated who my departmental researchers were while I attempted to learn the procedures on the run. I emailed the final copy to the Minister's office and winced, waiting with dread for the inevitable criticism that should come pouring back.

Nothing happened. My speech was swallowed by the public service ether. Did the Minister ever read it? I do not know. Did the Minister even look at it? No idea. The following day I was given a second speech to write.

Follow this link for the rest of this unbelievable story

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