Pharmacists Division in the media

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Pharmacists Division
GPO Box 1272, Melbourne VIC 8060
163 Eastern Road, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Phone: 03 9695 8800
Fax: 03 9696 8904
Email: pharmacist@apesma.asn.au

PHARMACISTS' DIVISION – IN THE MEDIA

In the media archive – 2001-2009
Union issues clarification on eRx criticism – 23 February 2010 (24KB) Employee pharmacist union the Pharmacists Division of APESMA (PDA) issued a statement yesterday defending its criticism of the proposed funding of eRx Script Exchange in the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement. Published on AusPharmacist website
APESMA slams Guild again – 23 February 2010 (70KB) APESMA has reiterated its opposition to the 15c taxpayer subsidy for electronic prescriptions negotiated by the Pharmacy Guild as part of the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement. APESMA claims the Guild has “negotiated funding for a system from which it will benefit greatly,” with eRx Script Exchange, a project of Fred IT Group Pty Ltd that is 50% owned by the Guild, “likely to be the major beneficiary” of the government funding. Published in Pharmacy Daily
Pharmacists divide over services – 22 February 2010 (55KB) Pharmacists who lack a direct say in negotiations on the fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement fear it won't give enough support to professional services such as medication management and are planning to separately lobby government. Both the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the employee pharmacist union, the Pharmacists' Division of APESMA (PDA), are taking exception to the Pharmacy Guild's approach to agreement negotiations as reflected in the framework for the agreement announced late last year. Published on Pharma in Focus website
Union continues attack on agreement – 15 February 2010 (28KB) The union for employee pharmacists has stepped up its criticism of the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement recently negotiated by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Federal Government. According to the Pharmacists' Division of APESMA, the agreement focused too much on the dispensing model and missed on opportunity to make pharmacists more flexible and less reliant on PBS funding. Published in Pharmacy News
Union keeps the pressure on Guild over 5CPA – 15 February 2010 (36KB) According to employee pharmacist union, the Pharmacists' Division of APESMA (PDA), the Pharmacy Guild's Christmas Eve agreement with the government on a framework for the 5th Community Pharmacy Agreement sentences most pharmacists to being robots churning out prescriptions. PDA says it will will stifle any hope of pharmacists assisting the Government implement health care reforms in a meaningful and innovative manner and will cause new pharmacy graduates to become disillusioned with community pharmacy. Published on AusPharmacist website
Award submissions rejected – 12 February 2010 (35KB) The Pharmacists division of union group APESMA has hailed a decision by Fair Work Australia which has rejected three variations to the Pharmacy Industry Award 2010 which were proposed by the Pharmacy Guild. Published in Pharmacy Daily
Union claims a victory on award – 12 February 2010 (35KB) Fair Work Australia has handed down a decision that rejects three variations to the Pharmacy Industry Award 2010 proposed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. Published on AusPharmacist website
Bid for shorter shifts rejected – 12 February 2010 (32KB) A bid to allow the hiring of part-time pharmacy workers for less than three hours has been rejected by the Federal Government's industrial relations panel. Fair Work Australia denied an application from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to water down minimum shift duration provisions in the new Pharmacy Industry Award 2010, as well as throwing out attempts by the Guild to redefine the definition of casual employment and halve Sunday penalty rates. The Pharmacists' Division of APESMA said the decision was a "great victory" for employee pharmacists. Published in Pharmacy News
Guild defends against e-script accusations – 9 February 2010 (43KB) The Pharmacy Guild has rejected allegations that the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement would give it an unfair advantage in electronic prescribing. An article in yesterday's Australian Financial Review carried an accusation from Geoff March, president of the Pharmacists' Division of APESMA, that the Guild was pushing its own agenda by negotiating a $0.15 per script payment to pharmacists for using electronic prescribing. Published in Pharmacy News
Union scathing of Guild over CPA5, eRx Script Exchange – 9 February 2010 (27KB) Employee pharmacists' union the Pharmacist's Division of APESMA (PDA) launched a scathing attack on the Pharmacy Guild yesterday, claiming that the Fifth Community Pharmacy agreement will entrench the role of pharmacists as drug dispensers and shop keepers. Published on AusPharmacist website
Pharmacy Guild gets electronic leg up – 8 February 2010 (93KB) The powerful Pharmacy Guild of Australia is preparing to take control of the $60 million electronic prescription market via taxpayer funding support for its computer prescription system, under a deal with the federal government that could be signed as soon as April. Published in Australian Financial Review
Guild slams e-script claims – 8 February 2010 (157KB) The Pharmacy Guild has demanded a correction from the Australian Financial Review, over a report published today which claims the Guild had “negotiated an unfair advantage in the development of electronic prescribing.” The article, which was based on comments by Geoff March, president of the Pharmacist Division of union group APESMA, says the Guild will “take control of the $60 million electronic prescription market via taxpayer funding support” of the eRx Script Exchange platform under the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement. Published in Pharmacy Daily
Agreement doesn't cut it: APESMA – 8 February 2010 (41KB) The new agreement negotiated between the Pharmacy Guild and the Federal Government has failed to improve pharmacy services or further the role of the pharmacist within the health care system, the union for employee pharmacists [APESMA] has declared. Published in Pharmacy News
Union opposes Guild request for award changes – 18 January 2010 (42KB) In a submission lodged late last week, pharmacists employee union, The Pharmacists' Division of APESMA (PDA), has told the Australian Industrial Relations Commission that it should reject in its entirety a Guild application... Published on AusPharmacist website
No to shorter shifts: union – 15 January 2010 (220KB) Taking away the three hour shift minimum for part time employees would erode a standard widely accepted in the community, the union for employee pharmacists has warned. Published in Pharmacy News
Guild calls for shorter shifts – 13 January 2010 (60KB) The Pharmacy Guild has defended its bid to decrease minimum shift duration provisions in the face of opposition from the union for employee pharmacists. Published in Pharmacy News