Three Christmas wishes for pharmacy: Sector leaders have their fingers crossed for 2022

Diana writes, “This is what I truly want with all my heart and passion. Hope Santa gets my letter…”

1. Fair recognition and remuneration for their skills and hard work that pharmacists, technicians and pharmacy staff do. They have stood strong and worked hard and in many cases, gone out of their way throughout difficult times to serve the community. In my 10-year pharmacy career, the minimum wage has increased by $6 to keep up with the rising cost of living. However, pharmacists’ hourly rate is still the same as it was 10 years ago, and, in some cases, worse.
2. Address the $5 co-pay issue. Either keep it for everyone or remove it completely. Create a level playing field so pharmacists are recognised for the services they provide. We talk about addressing inequity – this is a serious inequity issue, out in plain sight, that we continue to tip-toe around.
3. The holiday season is about finding joy. I want us – everyone in the pharmacy profession to be able to find joy again for being able to do what we do. Our pharmacy students are already feeling deflated about the profession and their futures, even before officially entering the workforce. With so much going on, we have lost sight of what a wonderful profession we are in, being able to directly have an impact on the lives of our community. I hope that in this holiday season, we all can find some joy and are able to pat ourselves on the back and be proud of who we are.

In our cancel culture, let’s cancel COVID, and rebound into 2022 with exciting plans for change that stretch beyond control by COVID

Linda writes, “Dear Santa, I hope you and the elves are fully vaccinated, including your booster shot. You’ll find my QR code on top of the tall stack of COVID-related papers, along with the vaccination passport reader. Please scan both as you deliver my three wishes.”

Macro: That the new health reforms receive sufficient funding and real investment in change to enable a new model of service delivery that truly works to measurably reduce inequity and improve health outcomes – and within this we see an expanding, funded, role for clinical pharmacists and pharmacist prescribers working within general practices/health care homes in New Zealand – a dynamic and vibrant branch of pharmacy of the future.

Meso: That the phrase “Linda, you’re on mute” becomes obsolete (as much as some people may have appreciated the silence) because COVID will not be in the news every day, or even every week; we will not be driven by fear and we can get back to face-to-face conferences and symposiums with real-people interactions (like the CAPA bootcamp in Auckland next March) – and friendly in-person hugs make a come-back!

Micro: Very selfishly, I’d like a good reason to renew my passport that expired 18 months ago! Though thinking of overseas, I wish that people would be more discerning about how they manipulate and interpret data.

So, Santa – just a few little wishes. COVID has increased inequity – the haves and the have-nots. So in our cancel culture, let’s cancel COVID, and rebound into 2022 with exciting plans for change that stretch beyond control by COVID.

Mariana writes the comments below are her personal thoughts and not necessarily the views of MPA:

1. As a sector I would like to see all pharmacists integrate an auditable Tiriti of Waitangi-focused approach into services they are providing to Māori. This may mean that pharmacists will need support in how to achieve this and it would be good to understand what those needs are across the sector and how stakeholder groups can support this to be achieved.
2. That the copayment fee is reviewed for all of Aotearoa, including and/or the prioritisation given to vulnerable populations.
3. That there is better alignment between other ministerial organisations (such as the Ministry of Social Development) to support whānau with respect to medication management, education and support

Rhiannon wishes for:

1. Increased funding for pharmacy core services. The recent reports were very clear that there has been longstanding underfunding via community pharmacy contracts. This needs to be rectified rapidly as it is unsustainable. The newer funded services (such as COVID vaccination) are at market rates, and are cross-subsidising the safe and appropriate distribution and continued access to medication.
2. Nationally consistent funding for pharmacy to provide better access to medicines. Some DHBs are now funding some specific "common ailments" services, and this is intended to be expanded under the expected COVID in the community management. Funded access for women's health is sporadic and nationally consistent service provision for all women is needed. There is hope this may transpire in the health system refresh, however we have increasing needs, given the COVID situation, which shouldn't have to wait.
3. A chance to reset the work-life balance. Pharmacy has continued to embrace new opportunities, and their flexibility and adaptability has been phenomenal. However, being reactive and responsive is hard work, and the profession needs to recharge. As part of this, genuine forward planning, the ability to pause and refresh and have some clarity about where pharmacy sits in any new health system would provide much comfort as to how the profession prioritises workforce needs and financial stability.

Máté writes:

1. Over the past year, we have seen a serious shakeup within the workforce as a result of new opportunities opening up for pharmacists. There is a lot of good energy out there now and I wish this would continue with the number of new and Independent Pharmacists Association of New Zealand secretary Máté Hegedus-Gaspar exciting career options continuing to rise.
2. I wish I could wake up one day and find this collective nightmare called COVID gone.
3. I would like my children to be able to see their grandparents in person again.

Andrew’s three wishes are:

1. Targeted removal of the Government’s pharmaceutical copayment charges. This would reduce barriers many New Zealanders currently face in accessing services, and contribute to a stronger healthcare system through a more balanced and viable community pharmacy sector.
2. Funding of the sector’s material unmet wage cost pressures. This would help recognise the value of the pharmacy profession in delivering highquality services, achieve pay parity with other health professionals, contribute to a stronger performing health system and reduce pressures on other health services.
3. Continued expansion of community pharmacy services. This would ensure community pharmacists, technicians and assistants can work at their full scope of practice. We’ve already seen the vital role community pharmacy has played in supporting the COVID-19 vaccination rollout this year. Further role expansion is inevitable as part of the ongoing response. There are also increased opportunities for community pharmacy with the new health system reforms to improve New Zealanders’ health and wellbeing outcomes.

Paul is hoping for:

1. That patient equity within the pharmacy realm results in the copayment being scrapped this year, to start a new beginning where patients can choose their pharmacy based on service, location and who they want to go to without cost considerations.
2. That pharmacy life becomes less stressful and tiring for everyone working in pharmacy.
3. That pharmacy gets fully integrated into primary health, with much better compensation, and stops being seen as an “add-on” only when the doo-doo hits the fan.

Iain’s wishes are:

1. I wish the $5 script tax would be sorted out, either scrap it or enforce it. Stop it being used as a loss leader. Discounting a professional service belittles the profession. Let the retailers be retailers and let the community pharmacists provide the level of care required by the patients.
2. I hope that the pharmacy profession begins to realise how much work the Pharmaceutical Society, Pharmacy Guild and Green Cross Health do on our behalf. Dealing with the Ministry of Health is a very demanding job and these teams are working extremely hard for the profession. Also, I would like to see the “moaning” stop regarding the new recertification programme. Just accept it and adapt.
3. Let the Government actually realise how important community pharmacy is to the health of New Zealand and let it be funded accordingly so we can more spend time actually improving the health of Kiwis. Actually, this should apply to all primary health services.

Ian writes: “My mother used to tell me that sometimes you had to ask seven times before people heard what you were saying, or what you were asking for. With pharmacy, some of the things I’ve been asking for, aren’t new, but I’ll keep on asking.

It is my feeling that this coming decade, is the decade where pharmacy will really shine, and if the politicians and the leaders are serious about access and health inequities, then they should write on their to-do list PHARMACISTS in big black marker pen. My wishes are:

1. Our profession should be honoured with seats at all the governance tables. There should be a pharmacist on the new Māori Health authority, the new Health Authority, and there should be a chief pharmacist at the Ministry of Health.
2. With the health reforms, there should be people who come from pharmacy backgrounds, being appointed to any new local governance boards. There should also be a focus locally on having pharmacists prominent in planning and funding departments.
3. For day-to-day operations, for pharmacists on the dispensary counters I’d like to see:

• A fully resourced minor ailments scheme operated out of community pharmacy.
• An opening up of the pharmacy accuracy checking course, so that the barriers for entry are removed, and that 500 are qualified in the next five years.
• An opening up of the pharmacist prescriber course, so that we could see a rise in their numbers from 37 to 1000 by the end of the decade.
• Suitably qualified pharmacists able to provide all vaccines, and to be paid the same as other vaccinators, and for this to be instigated now.

I’m sure that this is the seventh time I’ve asked for these things, but if not, it is a recurring number six.

Happy Christmas to all you fantastic pharmacists and pharmacy staff.

Pharmacists are the answer to many of our challenging healthcare system drawbacks

Katrina’s three wishes are:

1. I would like to see pharmacists recognised and prioritised in the health reforms for all the work we do and the impact we have on healthcare, and as such for the clinical services we provide such as medicines use reviews and other clinical services properly funded throughout the country, so there’s no healthcare postcode lottery.
2. I would like to see the pharmacy sector grow in the digital health space. GPs have embraced telehealth and video consults and it is now part of their standard practice. I’d equally like to see us getting into this space, whether it’s appointments on Zoom or developing apps. COVID has changed patients’ expectations of how and when they access services, and it is necessary we adapt to these changes, and respond to patient needs.
3. I’d like to see the pharmacist prescriber workforce funded to work in general practice. I’d also like to see more pharmacist facilitators working in general practice, and for clinical pharmacy services to be embedded as core health services healthcare system-wide. Pharmacists are the answer to many of our challenging healthcare system drawbacks, with GP burnout at an all-time high, pharmacists can alleviate that by providing funded minor ailment services, increasing access to funded healthcare services, reducing medicines waste, and ensuring safe and effective use of our most important healthcare intervention – medicines.