In the USA in areas probably not as remote, pharmacists have been part of the team as pharmacists are in all other health systems. Pharmacists within the US’s Indian Health Service (IHS) have seen about 15% of all primary healthcare interactions including independent prescribing since 1996 along with many other roles.
In 2005 I started work on a project putting a pharmacist out bush with a remote health service as part of the team. Despite having the same skills pharmacists in Australia are usually not identified as playing some of the roles as occurs in the IHS. This may be part of the reason I am still the only pharmacist in Australia working in this type of role.
The first year was a project supervised by the Centre for Remote Health. Contact me here if you wish a copy of the report. This review of the project identified the needs for support and extra education to prepare for the role. It was thought the Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Practice (Individual practice) then being developed at the Centre for Remote Health could be adapted.
And after a lot of work by Fran Vaughan the Graduate Certificate in Remote Health Practice – Remote Pharmacy Practice will commence this year with several of the topics presented to multi-disciplinary groups.
Download (PDF, 202.02KB)
As I suggested it I had better do it. But apparently I may be also lecturing on it. It should be interesting!
The course is suitable for any pharmacist involved with aboriginal health services whether it be a visiting S100 or QUMAX pharmacists as well as those wanting to work remote.
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I have mentioned the Practical Pharmacy newsletter produced by Health Action International Africa previously.
This issue looks at adherence from a number of positions including the factors that contribute to poor adherence, ways for children to take medicine and tailoring dosage regimes.
Adherence: The degree to which patients follow medical advice and take medicines as directed. Adherence depends not only on patient’s acceptance of information about the health threat itself but also on the practioner’s ability to persuade the patient that the treatment is worthwhile and on the patient’s perception of the practitioner’s credibility, empathy, interest and concern. (WHO/MSF)
Although based on African experiences many of the examples and points made are pertinent in Australia’s ‘fourth world’, remote indigenous Australia. The current issue is below or it can also back issues can be found here
Download (PDF, 1.29MB)
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I have a great job. It is certainly the most challenging I have had. But it’s great. It is pretty unique in Australia and as a result I get asked to participate on a number of committees and reviews. There are also a few articles written in a number of pharmacy journals or magazines that include a bit about me or from me.
One article was titled “Shock and Awe” about remote Indigenous Health, written by Fran Molloy.
Andrew Roberts lost his real name on his first day in his new job “out bush” as a remote area pharmacist. His workplace spans a quarter of a million kilometres in Central Australia — and there, for the last four years, he’s been known simply as “Robbo”.
When he first introduced himself as Andrew, the local Aboriginal health worker responded, horrified, “That’s a Kunmarnarra name!”
Anyway, I thought some outside pharmacy may be interested in the read.
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