system, materially reducing daily pressure on general practice teams and other acute care settings so that clinicians can prioritise people with more complex needs. One team Integrating pharmacist services more closely into health care teams of New Zealanders is a unifying theme in the Pharmacy Action Plan. The ‘one team’ theme paints a future in which the capability and capacity of pharmacists are fully used in providing wellness and health services to communities. In this future, all prescribers and consumers have access to expert advice on the most effective way to manage medicines. In addition, pharmacists are seen as essential members of health care teams and more commonly operate in a wider range of health care settings. The Ministry, DHBs and others in the health sector will work collaboratively to develop leadership capability within pharmacy and ensure its workforce evolves to reflect future requirements. Smart systems To achieve more integrated, more effective and more convenient pharmacist services, we will need smarter systems that deliver reliable and accurate information to a consumer’s chosen point of care. Our priority is to invest in systems to make this vision for the future into a reality. Once in place, these smart systems will create a modern platform for online individual health records. Consumers will be able to access and contribute to their own records, laying the foundations for them to actively engage in their medicines management. The pace of technological change will continue to increase, driving innovation in medicines supply. Such innovations include increased use of robotics at scale, and rapid advances in pharmaceutical interventions (preventative, diagnostic and curative) that are customised to individuals. Pharmacists will play a vital role in this future, meaning that they will need to increasingly work alongside prescribers and consumers. The wider strategic context Implementing Medicines New Zealand 2015 to 2020 In 2015 the Ministry of Health released a new action plan, Implementing Medicines New Zealand 2015 to 2020 (Ministry of Health 2015a). It identifies the following seven impact areas to achieve the three core outcomes set out in the Government’s Medicines Strategy: making the most of every point of care enabling shared care through an integrated health care team optimal use of antimicrobials empowering individuals, families and whānau to manage their own medicines and health optimal medicines use in older people and those with long-term conditions competent and responsive prescribers removing barriers to access. This Pharmacy Action Plan identifies how its actions align with these seven impact areas.
system, materially reducing daily pressure on general practice teams and other acute care settings so that clinicians can prioritise people with more complex needs. One team Integrating pharmacist services more closely into health care teams of New Zealanders is a unifying theme in the Pharmacy Action Plan. The ‘one team’ theme paints a future in which the capability and capacity of pharmacists are fully used in providing wellness and health services to communities. In this future, all prescribers and consumers have access to expert advice on the most effective way to manage medicines. In addition, pharmacists are seen as essential members of health care teams and more commonly operate in a wider range of health care settings. The Ministry, DHBs and others in the health sector will work collaboratively to develop leadership capability within pharmacy and ensure its workforce evolves to reflect future requirements. Smart systems To achieve more integrated, more effective and more convenient pharmacist services, we will need smarter systems that deliver reliable and accurate information to a consumer’s chosen point of care. Our priority is to invest in systems to make this vision for the future into a reality. Once in place, these smart systems will create a modern platform for online individual health records. Consumers will be able to access and contribute to their own records, laying the foundations for them to actively engage in their medicines management. The pace of technological change will continue to increase, driving innovation in medicines supply. Such innovations include increased use of robotics at scale, and rapid advances in pharmaceutical interventions (preventative, diagnostic and curative) that are customised to individuals. Pharmacists will play a vital role in this future, meaning that they will need to increasingly work alongside prescribers and consumers. The wider strategic context Implementing Medicines New Zealand 2015 to 2020 In 2015 the Ministry of Health released a new action plan, Implementing Medicines New Zealand 2015 to 2020 (Ministry of Health 2015a). It identifies the following seven impact areas to achieve the three core outcomes set out in the Government’s Medicines Strategy: making the most of every point of care enabling shared care through an integrated health care team optimal use of antimicrobials empowering individuals, families and whānau to manage their own medicines and health optimal medicines use in older people and those with long-term conditions competent and responsive prescribers removing barriers to access. This Pharmacy Action Plan identifies how its actions align with these seven impact areas.