NSW members were sent a Forum communique in October 2022 about the joint initiative between the Pharmacy Council of NSW, NSW Health and the pharmacy organisations representing most NSW pharmacists.
As mentioned in the communique, the purpose of the Forum is to:
• monitor regulatory issues that impact on the governance and performance of NSW pharmacists and owners of NSW pharmacies;
• identify key communication messages for pharmacists related to their obligations and responsibilities in respect of the law, policies, guidelines and standards;
• develop an integrated approach to communicating with pharmacists;
• encourage a collaborative approach to the promotion of clinical governance and legislative compliance amongst pharmacists.
Forum representatives are developing several resources to support NSW pharmacists. They are intended to be used as tools for pharmacists in conjunction with their overall knowledge and autonomous practice.
The following documents are the third round of resources and offer guidance on proprietor oversight.
1. Suggested audit areas
2. NSW supporting resources for proprietor oversight
It is hoped that pharmacists and pharmacy owners will utilise the sample template to audit areas of interest and maintain adequate oversight of their businesses.
The supporting resources document provides useful background information, linked resources for risk mitigation actions and suggestions for pharmacists and pharmacy management. Many of the websites listed in the supporting document are useful for adherence to legislations and guidelines.
The first round of resources was released to NSW members in November 2022 and offered guidance for the management of high-risk S8, S4B and S4D medicines. The second round was released in December 2022 and provided advice for the management of the Opioid Therapy Program (OTP).
If you have questions regarding the material published so far, please contact the PDL Professional Officers.
For immediate advice and incident support, call PDL on 1300 854 838 to speak with one of our Professional Officers. We are here to support our pharmacist members 24/7.
