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May 1997:
The Commonwealth Minister for Health, Dr Michael Woolridge announced
a desire to have Pharmaceutical Benefit funding extended to ALL
Australians and announced he would ask his Department to develop
a mechanism whereby this could happen. If necessary he said Section
100 of the National Health Act 1953 would be used to provide access
for remote aboriginal communities.
September
1997: The Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch of the DHFS sent a
questionnaire to all "remote" aboriginal health clinics
asking for information in respect to such matters as population,
distance to nearest town, staff employed and the like.
February
1998: Prime Minister Howard announced funding for Azithromycin
for the prevention of trachoma (eye disease) in children while on
a visit to a remote aboriginal community in North Queensland.
March 1998:
An offer was made to individual health clinics to take up the Azithromycin
offer. THS recommended to all clinics under their control to take
no action until further negotiations could be made.
March 1998:
The Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council Working Party on
Remote issues met for the first time and was presented with the
findings of a report commissioned by the Health Insurance Commission
to be known as the Keys Young Report.
April 1998:
A workshop was held in Darwin, organised by THS, inviting all stakeholders
in the process including the Commonwealth, Pharmacy Guild, NACCHO
and others to hear the details and principles behind the Commonwealth
proposal. This included the Pharmacy Guild of Australia as it had
a strong interest on behalf of its member community pharmacists
to have them play a part in the distribution chain.
June 1998:
APAC, through it's Working Party on Remote Issues, asked the Pharmacy
Guild and NACCHO to prepare a proposal for consideration by the
Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch for the implementation
of the full list of items included in the Schedule of Pharmaceutical
Benefits.
May to July
1998: THS Working Party, comprising parties with an interest,
predominantly the Rural Pharmacists, worked through the issues of
the Guild/NACCHO proposal and made it's views known to the Pharmaceutical
Benefits Branch staff. The Working Party met every two weeks after
the April workshop.
September
1998: The Minister decided the definition of remote would be
the RRMA Classification, thus including Alice Springs, Katherine,
Gove and Tennant Creek.
February
1999: NACCHO Clinics across Australia are offered PBS through
Section 100 from local community pharmacies.
May 2000:
Memorandum of understanding signed between Commonwealth and NT Government
for all remote AHS's in the NT to have access to PBS.
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