Pharmacy chopped out of Medicare tree
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2013-06-12
Pharmacy chopped out of Medicare tree
An expensive Government advertising campaign promoting “Medicare For All” has delivered a treemendous snub to thousands of Australian community pharmacists.
The ads feature what purports to be a ‘health system’ tree, with the foliage made up of medical and allied health professions – but no pharmacy!
The advertising campaign promotes the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), spruiking it as part of a “Medicare For All” promotion that also includes information on
Medicare Locals and the after-hours GP helpline. The Guild has raised the issue with the Department of Health and Ageing, asking why nobody twigged to this glaring omission.
The’ health system’ tree, graphically depicted in the ads, includes many health professionals, some of whom are mentioned tree, er, three or four times, but the word pharmacist or pharmacy is not there. (Curiously, the tree has no surgeon.)
Surely there was room somewhere on this lush tree for community pharmacy – health care providers who deliver medication management and frontline health advice to millions of Australians at 5200 locations across the continent.”
Not content with the number of puns in this media release so far, a Guild spokesperson said: “This requires a root and branch inquiry. Why wood they do that? We’re stumped. They are barking up the wrong tree if they think they can give pharmacy the brush off.”
Media or arborist inquiries: Greg Turnbull 0412 910261
See offending tree below.