GP Consult Update: From the Chair
In this update from Dr John Williams, Chair of the AMA SA Committee for General Practice (CGP), we hear about the latest on the Access to Care Round Table recommendations, explain how AMA SA advocacy is reinforcing clinical opposition to pharmacists’ expanded scope of practice, and thank our colleague Dr Chris Moy, who’s resigned after many years of service to the CGP. He’ll be missed!
As chair of the AMA SA Committee of General Practice (CGP), it’s been rewarding to be a part of discussions with SA Health as the next step in identifying how to develop and implement the recommendations emerging from our Access to Care Round Table.
Former CGP Chair Dr Bridget Sawyer and I attended another meeting with SA Health leadership two weeks ago to determine how we can align what the Round Table told us about improving patients’ access to care. We’re now looking closely at how AMA SA, RACGP and other partners can contribute to reforms that will have a real impact on keeping people healthy and safe in their communities, backed by connected primary care and avoiding hospital wherever possible.
One recommendation that’s been widely discussed is increasing GP access to Sunrise records. We’ve emphasised to SA Health how this access would accelerate GPs’ capacity to treat patients, and SA Health is considering how short- and longer-term changes could assist in this, while maintaining necessary levels of privacy and security for patients and their data.
See more about the recommendations here
The CGP has also been looking at the resources available to help sports organisations, participants and doctors determine when it’s safe to compete in outdoor sports during South Australia’s hot summers. Our attention to this has accelerated the national AMA focus and we’re expecting to promote updated resources soon.
AMA calling out risks of pharmacists’ prescribing
AMA SA Council has been asked to comment on a proposed amendment to South Australian legislation that, if passed, will add to the list of medications that pharmacists can prescribe. The feedback from Councillors is unanimous in opposing this expanded scope of practice – as we did in when pharmacy prescribing for UTI antibiotics was initially proposed and then introduced. At the same time, and along with the Federal AMA, we are reinforcing the value of more funding for multidisciplinary primary care teams that will increase patients’ access to GP care and nullify any argument that pharmacy prescribing is an answer to waiting times.
Thank you, Dr Chris Moy!
I’d like to acknowledge the many years of service to this committee and the AMA of Dr Chris Moy, who has resigned from the CGP. As a clinician, member of Council and the CGP, AMA SA vice-president and president, and vice-president of the AMA, Chris has been a fearless advocate for patients and the doctors who work to help them – at the same time always sensitive to the broader agendas that also affect the system and patient care. Thanks, Chris – I’m sure we’ll have reason to seek your sage counsel in the months ahead.