AMA ‘hysterical’ on TWC/BUPA deal

CLAIMS that TerryWhite Chemmart’s partnership with health insurer BUPA is “inappropriate” and a threat to patient safety are “hysterical”, “out of touch” and “insulting” to pharmacists the Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) National President, Tony Bartone, described the deal as a crass commercialisation of primary health care, and a threat to general practice in a statement issued yesterday.

Responding to Bartone’s “shrill calls”, a spokesperson from the Guild said it was “predictable”, but “disappointing”.

Under the partnership, BUPA members who have signed up to the package will be able to receive a number of health checks, flu vaccinations and health consultations with pharmacists in TWC pharmacies.

“It is not appropriate to conduct sensitive, sometimes life-saving, health checks in busy retail environments, many of which promote dangerous, unproven alternative medicines and therapies,” Bartone said.

“It is outrageous that a large health insurer like BUPA would endeavour to undermine general practice, especially after a thorough Government review of private health insurance to ensure that policyholders received high quality and value for money for their significant investment in insurance.”

Bartone urged pharmacists to not encroach on GPs’ turf, saying “these activities are not within the scope of practice of a pharmacist”.

“The BUPA-TerryWhite partnership is a misguided marketing exercise that is an insult to GPs, a threat to the health of patients, a blight on the health system, and the Government should outlaw it immediately,” he said.

A Guild spokesperson said,

“The hysterical response from the AMA President – while predictable - is disappointing and insulting to the skilled and highly-trained pharmacists in Australia’s most accessible health care infrastructure – community pharmacies.

“If the AMA had its way, no pharmacist in Australia would be administering influenza vaccines

– a clearly beneficial public health development which has brought Australia into line with comparable countries.

“Fortunately, most general practitioners know and respect the work of their local pharmacies, and will ignore the shrill calls from the out-of-touch AMA.”