Major 6CPA program changes

THE, Health Department overnight confirmed significant changes to professional services funded under the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement, with the “redesign” of a number of existing programs effective from next month.

Changes apply to Dose Administration Aids, Staged Supply, MedsCheck, Diabetes MedsCheck and Home Medicine Reviews, covered by $825 million over three years under the Improving Access to Medicines - support for community pharmacies measure.

$600 million of this is being provided to continue existing programs - but they have been changed “to support the collection of information to assist with assessment of the effectiveness of these services”.

For Dose Administration Aids the current Pharmacy Practice Incentive payment will end on 30 Jun 2017.

Instead, from 01 Jul community pharmacies participating in the DAA program will receive a fee of $6 per patient per week as a contribution towards the cost of providing the service to patients that meet the eligibility criteria.

In addition pharmacies will be required to collect data for five patients that receive services, with a $31.90 payment at patient registration (for five patients) and a further $31.90 at a six month follow up point.

The current incentive payment for Staged Supply of $1,300 will also cease on 30 :un, and thereafter participating community pharmacies will receive a new weekly fee-for-service per patient for up to four eligible patients per pharmacy.

Payments of $31.90 will also be made for collection of data at patient registration and at a six month follow up.

For MedsChecks and Diabetes MedsChecks the total that can be claimed by community pharmacies will double to 20 per month.

Pharmacies will be required to collect data for patients funded under the service, and for a patient to be eligible for a MedsCheck they must now be taking a medication associated with a high risk of adverse events.

Finally the Home Medicines Review Program will continue unchanged while a review of the current Medicare item 900 eligibility criteria is undertaken.

Potential changes to eligibility criteria, the inclusion of two new in-pharmacy follow up services and criteria to increase access to the service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs are anticipated to commence early in 2018, the Department said.

For more details of the changes see www.6cpa.com.au.