The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has said that it hopes to help the government to deliver early gains in the health-reform process and improve the health outcomes of patients with mental illnesses through its Liaison Pharmacist Programme.
The organisation has submitted the proposal for federally-funded network liaison pharmacists, which would see one salaried pharmacist for every Medicare Local to improve cost-effective health services.
Grant Kardachi, acting president Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, said: "If accepted by the government, this programme would reduce preventable medication errors and help to ameliorate the personal and health system costs of medication errors.
"It would assist in providing continuity of care between each Medicare Local and its neighbouring Local Hospital Networks."
A particular area of focus for the liaison pharmacist would be consumers with mental illness transferring between healthcare settings and healthcare providers - for example, between home and hospital or community / residential aged-care facilities.
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