The Pharmacy Guild of Australia

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGoA), or the Guild is a professional organisation that supports pharmacy owners. The Pharmacy Guild of Australia was established in 1928, combining several small retail pharmacy organisations. As the national employers’ organisation for pharmacists, the Guild has a National Council, National Secretariat and branches in all Australian States and Territories. It seeks to serve the interests of its members (pharmacy owners) and to support the financial wellbeing of community pharmacy while delivering the best possible health outcomes for the public.

State and Territory Branches

Structure: Policy and Legislation

The development of policy and legislation is the responsibility of the Guild’s governing body, the National Council, on which all State and Territory Branches are represented. Implementation of policy is overseen by the National Executive and effected through the National Secretariat.

Role in Pharmacy

The Guild presents its primary role is as an advocate for pharmacists in relation to pharmacy ownership rules and industry reputation. The Guild claims to support and maintain the community pharmacy model as the most efficient and appropriate system for the safe delivery of medicines, medication management and related services. The Guild's website states that it "represents the owners of community pharmacies, of which there are about 5,600 in Australia. Those pharmacies employ about 60,000 people, including pharmacists and pharmacy assistants and interns. The pharmacies are distributed across Australia so as to deliver timely medicine and advice to Australians, virtually wherever they may live. There are pharmacies in every electorate in Australia – indeed the average federal electorate has around 35 community pharmacies."

The Guild states its two core responsibilities are to: • provide practical services and support to enable Guild members to maximise health outcomes for all Australians, and • secure the ongoing viability of Australia's community pharmacy network.

Services

The Guild provides a range of services to its members, including:

Deal with Blackmores

The Guild and dietary supplement company Blackmores developed a deal in which "almost 5000 pharmacies will start recommending a range of Blackmores products to patients when they pick up prescriptions for antibiotics, blood pressure drugs, cholesterol medicine and proton pump inhibitors."[2]

The deal, described by Blackmores as a "Coke and fries"-style promotion, was met with a "strong level of public concern," according to the Guild, and the deal was axed. Guild president Kos Sclavos issued a statement apologizing for "any distress caused to pharmacists" and stating, "The only alternative is to cancel the endorsement, and this has been done." Yvonne Allinson, spokeswoman for the Pharmacist Coalition for Health Reform, expressed approval of the deal's cancellation, "Pharmacists are one of the most trusted professionals in the community for a good reason and we are pleased that they are not going to be put in a position where their reputation could be damaged."[3]

Chris Walton, chief executive of the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia, states, "[The Guild] describe their decision to enter the deal as one made in good faith. Good faith must be their code for big bag of coins...Australian pharmacists should never forget that the guild was willing to trade on their good reputation for commercial gain."[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Guild website". The Pharmacy Guild of Australia. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
  2. ↑ "Trick or treat?". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  3. ↑ "Pharmacists dump Blackmores promo deal". News.com.au. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  4. ↑ "Pharmacists axe deal to push dietary products". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
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