Formal negotiations have begun on a new Pharmacy Programs Agreement (PPA), which sits outside the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement, the federal Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing Mark Butler announced at PSA25 today.
‘The PSA is the natural home for this agreement because you’ve helped drive the development of new and emerging roles for pharmacists,’ Minister Butler said in his plenary address, which opened PSA25 this morning at Sydney’s International Convention Centre.
First announced in January this year, the proposed agreement between the Australian Government and PSA is expected to strengthen 17 pharmacy programs delivered by pharmacists across the health system.
These include medication management programs such as Home Medicines Reviews and Residential Medication Management Reviews, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-specific programs and rural support programs that encompass pharmacists in a range of practice areas.
PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim FPS told delegates: ‘We know these programs work, but for too long pharmacy programs have been scattered across a range of mechanisms without comprehensive evaluation of their impact. That’s part of what this agreement will do.’
Minister Butler also acknowledged PSA’s key role as a signatory to the new agreement ‘as the Albanese Government’s health reform agenda continues to unfold, a role that we are committed to enhancing further in enabling you to work at your full scope of practise in delivering more services’, he told the more than 1,200 delegates attending PSA25.
PSA’s agreement approach
The Agreements Lead is National Board Member Associate Professor Shane Jackson FPS. He will head a team of senior pharmacists, including Consultation Lead Debbie Rigby FPS, National Board Member Bridget Totterman MPS, PSA’s General Manager for Policy and Program Delivery Chris Campbell FPS and PSA’s Canberra-based Senior Pharmacist – Strategic Agreements Rhyan Stanley MPS. Input is also expected from the Consultant Pharmacists Community of Specialty Interest led by Deborah Hawthorne FPS.
PSA’s approach from now is expected to be guided by findings from the formal consultation process that began several months ago, according to A/Prof Sim.
There will also be ongoing feedback from stakeholder groups and members and outcomes from a sector-wide roundtable. All responses will continue to shape PSA’s position on key elements of the agreement.
A/Prof Sim also announced that PSA, as a federated organisation, had reached a historic 20,000 members for the first time.
‘This growth reflects the value pharmacists see in what PSA offers,’ she said. ‘Pharmacists are looking for more than just representation, they’re looking for support, connection, and leadership.
‘We’re investing in expert-led, flexible education to support every stage of pharmacy careers and across areas of practice. We’re building a connected, passionate community that understands the goals and challenges our members face.’ She said PSA was also collaborating with other organisations and partners in giving pharmacists the confidence to expand their scope of practice.
Working to full scope
In his address, Minister Butler also canvassed government measures including recent enabling legislation for cheaper medicines for consumers earlier this month with the general co-payment for PBS medicines to be reduced from $31.60 to $25 from 1 January 2026.
‘We want to remove the barriers to working at full scope, reconciling varying state and territory approaches, removing red tape, changing cultures so that we can get, frankly, the absolute best out of you,’ he told hundreds of pharmacist delegates.
His colleague, pharmacist and Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health Emma McBride told the conference that the government was now considering the 18 recommendations of Professor Mark Cormack’s Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review, with A/Prof Sim part of the review committee.
Working towards a common goal
As PSA moves through the negotiation phase of this new agreement, A/Prof Sim said it was important to ‘pause and recognise the significance of what we are working toward’.
‘Whilst we need to remain pragmatic in our approach, this agreement will lay the foundation for a new, long-overdue infrastructure that has the potential to reshape the future for generations to come. This new agreement belongs to our profession, and PSA will do everything we can, within our ability, to do this for our profession.’
By negotiating a new agreement to govern these 17 specific programs, PSA is seeking to ensure they maximise the positive impact the pharmacy profession can have on patients across multiple areas of practice, she said.
Meanwhile, consultation on pharmacy programs remains open. PSA members are encouraged to provide any additional information, feedback and case studies.
Learn more about membership benefits at www.psa.org.au
