Better Sooner More Convenient Primary Care - New Zealand Doctor

8 Effect on inequalities
It is anticipated that more effective and efficient clinical pathways in both laboratory referred
services and pharmacy services will lead to a reduction in resource wastage (both time and
money) enabling more attention and resources to identify and target those most in need in order
meet their health needs in a better sooner more convenient way.
9 Evidence for this initiative
In 2009 West Coast Primary Health Organisation commissioned a report 51 to investigate ways in
which the PHO could, and community pharmacies would, work together more closely to advance
its goal of achieving better health for people on the West Coast. This report identified the
following from evidence in the literature:
“Medication has the ability to enhance the quality of life and reduce the manifestations
of diseases that would normally lead to suffering and premature death. There is also a
growing awareness of the potential for these same drugs to cause a significant amount
of morbidity and mortality.
Underpinning nearly all innovative, cognitive services that might be provided by
pharmacists is the issue of drug-related morbidity and mortality. Drug-related
morbidity and mortality represents a serious medical problem that requires expert
interdisciplinary attention. Unrecognised and unresolved drug therapy problems may
result in extra primary care visits, hospitalisations, long term care facility admissions
and premature death. The literature suggests that a large proportion of drug-related
morbidity is preventable. Potentially pharmacists have the skills to ameliorate this
problem by identifying existing and potential drug therapy problems likely to cause
harm, a reduction in the quality of life, or death. “
It went on to say that:
“Clinical advisory pharmacists are recognised as having the qualifications, skills and
abilities to work in a variety of specialist roles. The services provided focus on
optimising medicines-related health outcomes for individual patients and working to
reduce existing and potential drug therapy problems from a population based health
perspective,
These roles may include:
• Pharmacist facilitation
• Comprehensive medication management (clinical medication reviews)
• Medicines therapy assessment (eg. in rest homes, residential care)
51 Linda Bryant and John Dunlop. Opening the Door on Community Pharmacy, , June 2009)
Business case appendices V12 AC 25Feb2010 Page 84