| Policy CHARACTERISTICS |
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Some new policies constrain scope of practice, so their permanence could adversely affect pharmacists' scope expansion
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Some existing and COVID-19 policies can cause friction with other health professionals, as they're perceived to be clinically unsuitable for pharmacists, or encroach into other professional spaces — this decreases trust and opportunities for pharmacists to increase responsibilities
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Some temporary measures expand scope of practice, and their potential to become permanent is an opportunity for sustained expansion of scope of practice
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Policy infrastructure already exists for some of the new policies, so it is relatively easy to build upon and further expand
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Policies that remunerate pharmacists provide formal recognition of their role and legitimises pharmacist-delivered services
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Evaluation component built-in to program to allow for future development and expansion
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| Policy CONTEXT |
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Pharmacist actor characteristics
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Lack of training for additional services — the skills to perform these services are not necessarily an inherent part of a pharmacist's training
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Pharmacists are generally more risk-averse; there may be within-profession hesitation for providing additional pharmacy services
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The Guild's political power could constrain expansion of scope of practice if they argue against services or policy approaches
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A federated health system can constrain scope of practice if programs require national consistency in order for them to function properly
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Differences between pharmacy professional bodies can pose constraints if unity is necessary for expansion of scope
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Lack of understanding or appreciation of pharmacists' role from other HCPs can constrain the development of more opportunities for pharmacists
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Lack of a federal Chief Pharmacist role may contribute to a lack of national leadership and representation of pharmacists in the federal Department of Health — there is a limited voice in that environment to develop policies that can expand scope of practice
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Pharmacist actor characteristics — pharmacists are perceived by the public and by policymakers as appropriate people to provide healthcare because they are:
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Medicines experts
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Very accessible, especially community pharmacists
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Trusted
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Starting to be involved in other areas of service provision
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The Guild's political power could expand scope of practice if there are policy options that align with pharmacy owners' interests
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A federated system can provide opportunities for expanding programs as jurisdictions constantly push each other along and can learn from each other (state-level innovation)
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National health priorities of QUM & medicine safety and aged care present opportunities for pharmacists as medicines experts to play a more significant role in improving health outcomes
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Currently (and over the last few decades), there has been a push towards expanded scope of practice across many countries; pharmacy groups worldwide are advocating for this, not just Australia
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Government investments in telehealth and digital health provide a new and bigger environment in which pharmacists can clinically practice
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| Policy CIRCUMSTANCES |
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No pharmacy representation on the three ATAGI subgroups for the vaccine rollout (prioritisation, implementation, monitoring [but particularly implementation])
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There has been public disagreement within the profession over a specific COVID measure (COVID testing in community pharmacies), which has cast doubt on expanded services
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To some pharmacists, COVID-19 testing in pharmacies was seen as a steppingstone to further service delivery (pathology), but the perception that pharmacists only have profits in mind could constrain scope of practice
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Due to the pandemic, there has been increased recognition of pharmacists and perception of their accessibility (by the public and policymakers)
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The need for all levels of governments to address COVID-19 quickly provides an opportunity for pharmacists to contribute more to healthcare in ways they previously have not
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Involving pharmacies in COVID-19 testing increases the prominence of pharmacies as a health hub, maximising community value and opportunities for community pharmacists to deliver services within their principal workplace
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