Changes to the Home Medicine Review Program

Issue

Purported changes to Home Medicines Review (HMR) Program remuneration arrangements.

Response

The Australian Government has agreed on a way forward with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to ensure there is virtually no change to the current fees for HMR or other vital medication management services under the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement.

The agreement, announced on 22 March 2013, will ensure that consumers can continue to access the full range of medication services under the Fifth Agreement, at no cost. The agreement also ensures that providers will be fairly remunerated for these important services.

This follows changes announced by Minister Plibersek on 8 March 2013, that are now in place, to make sure HMR services are offered in the home, where they offer the best outcome for the consumer.

The Minister has further agreed to support research to make sure the targeting of the HMR program is appropriate. This research will involve a range of stakeholder groups, and will be undertaken over the next 12 months. In particular, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia will be actively involved.

While it is recognised that maintaining fees at current levels is important to ensure ongoing viability, further work is also needed to look at current delivery models and explore efficiencies of scale for larger service providers.