Wed 24 September 2025

Policy and Advocacy Summary – September 2025

This month, AdPha attended the Allied Health Industry Reference Group meeting alongside other allied health professions, with updates from the Chief Allied Health Officer, Department of Health Disability and Ageing’s digital health teams and primary care reform teams. The Department is aiming to release the National Allied Health Workforce Strategy at the end of the year, and our team have made submissions about our Registrar and Resident Training Programs, and the Australian New Zealand College of Advanced Pharmacy to recognise pharmacist’s expertise, experience and impact.

AdPha also met with Senator Dorinda Cox, who is the new Chair/Deputy Chair of the Community Affairs Legislation/References Committee, where we introduced AdPha to Senator Cox and our impact on health systems, and discussed the Centre for Disease Control legislation and medicines shortages affecting Australians. Thanks to Aleena Williams FANZCAP (Generalist, Lead&Mgmt)  and Chair of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Leadership Committee for attending this one with AdPha secretariat.

AdPha welcomed the new Rural Health Commissioner Professor Jenny May, who showed great interest with our Registrar Training Program for Rural Generalism, as well as recognising Rural Health specialist pharmacists through ANZCAP. Thanks to Susan Trevillian FANZCAP (Lead&Mgmt, RurlHlth), Chair of our Rural and Remote Health Leadership Committee for attending this alongside us.

AdPha also met with the WA Health Minister’s pharmacy adviser to discuss upcoming changes to enable partnered pharmacist medication charting and workforce requirements, continuing some of the successful advocacy we have had with WA Government.

The first Efficient Funding of Chemotherapy Implementation Working Group meeting was held, convened by the Department to aid it in developing a response to the Review’s final report from 2023. Thanks to Shaun O'Connor FANZCAP (OncHaem, Compound.), Chair, Oncology and Haematology, Specialty Practice Leadership Committee and Paul Firman FANZCAP (Generalist), AdPha Board Director (QLD) for representing us at these meetings. As mentioned in last weeks’ eNews, the Department will aim to deal with the claiming in good faith issue.

It was also a busy month for policy submissions, with the team providing feedback to Productivity Commission inquiries to discuss collaborative prescribing and workforce reform, highlighting pharmacists’ central role in medicines governance and clinical leadership in Commission’s consultation, and advocated for better access to menopause therapies, including PBS listing of Bijuva®, continuing our advocacy from the Senate Inquiry into menopause.