PSA Confident of Future Despite Bleak Jobs Outlook

A report indicating community pharmacy expects to shed a considerable number of jobs over the next 12 months is disappointing but highlights the need to continue developing new opportunities and new roles for the profession, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia says.

National President of the PSA, Grant Kardachi, said that a survey undertaken by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia showed that across Australia some 9000 pharmacy jobs – including pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and other staff – could be lost in community pharmacy in the coming year.

“In this sort of environment it becomes particularly important for the profession to develop new opportunities and services to ensure that we remain viable and sustainable as we move forward,” Mr Kardachi said.

“At PSA we recognise this and have for some time been advocating for a wide range of opportunities for pharmacists across all sectors of the profession and across all areas of the country.

“We are in discussions with groups such as the Australian Medical Association as well as a range of other health stakeholders to identify new areas where pharmacists can work and apply their skills and knowledge, including in palliative care, dementia, wound care, in the delivery of professional programs and in the use of non-dispensing pharmacists – to name just a few.
“An example of this is having pharmacists working in GP practices where they add great value to patient outcomes and to the services being offered to patients.”
Mr Kardachi said the current pilot in Queensland of pharmacists delivering immunisations in pharmacies was another example where PSA and the profession were creating new opportunities.
“PSA and the Pharmacy Guild have just started this initiative which I am confident will pave the way long-term for immunisation services to be introduced in community pharmacies across the country,” Mr Kardachi said.

“PSA has also put a lot of resources into the Health Destination Project which has developed a model to turn pharmacies into health hubs with a pharmacist at front of the dispensary to provide professional service and advice.

“There is a lot happening and while the latest report is not encouraging we must not let ourselves become disheartened.  There are still great opportunities for the profession and PSA is working hard at ensuring our great profession develops and grows into the future.”

Source: http://www.psa.org.au/news/psa-confident-of-future-despite-bleak-jobs-outlook, Tuesday 8 April 2014