Pharmacy
Diabetes Pilot Program - Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet relating to the Diabetes Pilot Program.
The Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement (Fourth Agreement) provides funding of up to $12.9 million for a Diabetes Pilot Program. The Pilot Program is a new program funded under the Better Community Health initiative of the Fourth Agreement.
The program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and will be managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
What is the pilot about?
The pilot will review and refine the Diabetes Medication Assistance Service (DMAS) which was investigated in the Third Community Pharmacy Agreement Research and Development Program.DMAS is an ongoing cycle of assessment, management and review of patients with type 2 diabetes, provided in the community pharmacy by the pharmacist, at regular intervals. The DMAS is conducted in collaboration with general practitioners and members of the diabetes care team.
DMAS aims to assist patient self-management and improve the Quality Use of Medicines for people with diabetes through community pharmacy intervention.
This pilot will:
- assess the feasibility, clinical and cost effectiveness of DMAS for patients with type 2 diabetes; and
- investigate methods to improve and facilitate the uptake of DMAS within community pharmacies and by people with diabetes.
What will my role be?
Participating pharmacists will undertake a competency-based training course to deliver DMAS.Pharmacists participating in DMAS will have scheduled in-pharmacy appointments with patients to assist them to manage their diabetes. These appointments will involve assisting patients to self-manage their diabetes in line with the patient’s diabetes management plan. This will include:
- assisting with blood glucose meter management;
- assisting with self-monitoring of blood glucose;
- measuring blood pressure and weight to assist in a patient’s lifestyle management;
- assisting with the Quality Use of Medicines; and
- facilitating communication between the patient, their general practitioner and/or other health service provider and the pharmacy to improve continuity of care.
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When will the pilot start?
The pilot is being implemented in two stages. Stage 1 began in December 2007, with 90 pharmacies recruited to participate, in four States and the ACT. The aim of Stage 1 is to identify the optimal number of follow-up visits with the pharmacist, to ensure sustained improvements in diabetes control following the completion of all DMAS visits. Stage 1 will also identify how the program can be rolled out effectively through community pharmacy.Pharmacy Recruitment for Stage 2 will began in August 2008, and will involve up to a further 800 community pharmacies throughout Australia. All community pharmacies were invited to participate, and selection has been carried out according to the eligibility criteria below. Community pharmacies in both metropolitan and rural locations will be able to participate.
How can my pharmacy participate?
A participating pharmacy must:- have a pharmacist who has completed the required competency-based training course;
- be a Section 90 Community Pharmacy;
- have a separate room or screened area (distinct from the general public area of the pharmacy) that:
- allows the pharmacist and patient to talk at normal speaking volumes without being overheard by other visitors or pharmacy staff; and
- allows the consultation to proceed in accordance with quality control standards (eg infection control);
- have a computer system compatible with the software required for downloading capillary glucose results;
- have appropriate equipment to support the service (or purchase this equipment);
- agree to provide the service in accordance with Professional Standards and Professional Guidelines and protocols for the pilot; and
- agree to collect and provide data to inform the program’s development and evaluation.
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What support will I receive?
Participating pharmacies will be provided with a pharmacy readiness kit containing:\- an operations manual;
- advice on establishing the necessary infrastructure to support the provision of DMAS within pharmacy;
- information on the pilot and advice that may assist pharmacists with patient recruitment;
- information on the evaluation and data collection requirements of the Pilot;
- details of any support networks;
- materials that promote the service to consumers and other health professionals; and
- relevant Professional Standards and Professional Guidelines.
Participating pharmacists will need to complete a competency based training course. This training will:
- provide the pharmacists with the knowledge and skills to support patients in self-monitoring their blood glucose (eg in using a blood glucose meter) and in using the results as a communication tool with their general practitioner; and
- develop the competency of pharmacists in assessing medication adherence, detecting medication-related problems, and delivering appropriate patient information in line with Quality Use of Medicines principles.
What payments are made to pharmacists for participating?
Participating pharmacies will be eligible for a readiness payment of $500, upon providing evidence that they have purchased appropriate equipment to provide the service.During Stage 2 pharmacies are expected to be paid up to $320 per patient for 5 visits over a 6 month period.
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Which patients are eligible for this service?
Any patient with established type 2 diabetes, with HbA1c >7% (as confirmed by test results from the patient’s general practitioner) will be eligible for this service. In addition, to participate, a patient must have been a regular prescription customer at the pharmacy for at least the previous three months, in order to generate a meaningful medication history.For Stage 2, it is anticipated that the number of eligible patients per pharmacy will be capped at 14.
Will patients be charged for the service?
During Stage 2, pharmacists must charge a minimum of $2.50 (plus GST) per patient, for each in-pharmacy consultation. Pharmacies may apply a higher fee, but this will be at their discretion.Pharmacies will need to inform patients that the charge is imposed as a condition of participating in the pilot and not imposed by the Australian Government. Patient charges are noco-payments and therefore will not count towards the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Safety Net.
A patient’s willingness to pay for DMAS, and the nature and extent of fees charged, will be an important part of the pilot evaluation.
What about patient privacy?
Pharmacists will be expected to comply with current Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s professional practice standards that require that the consumer’s right to privacy is to be observed at all times.Pharmacists will need to seek agreement from the patient that the degree of privacy afforded to them is acceptable.
Pharmacies participating in the pilot will be randomly audited to ensure that these requirements are met.
How do I obtain further information?
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia provides regular communication to pharmacists during the implementation of the program. Information is available on the Guild’s website at http://www.guild.org.au/pps/ For further assistance, contact the Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Secretariat on 02 6270 1888.The Diabetes Pilot Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and managed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
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