Poster Presentation Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2016

Introduction: The CTG PBS co-payment measure was introduced by the Australian Government in July 2010 to help close the gap by assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people gain access to PBS medications by reducing or removing the co-payment associated with the cost of PBS medications. As part of the Improving Indigenous Access to Mainstream Primary Care Program it was decided to perform a scoping study on the readiness of pharmacies to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people including the CTG PBS Co-Payment Measure. This was the first time a holistic cross-sectional study of this kind was conducted in an urban environment, supported by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health.

Method: The program officer distributed 67 surveys to pharmacy staff throughout pharmacies evenly distributed within the Metro North PHN catchment. This comprised of approximately 30% of all pharmacies within this region. The CTG team chose a quantitative and qualitative research model. The majority of questions were multiple choice, however the survey also made room for additional answers and comments with an ‘other’ selection, where pharmacy staff could provide a more descriptive opinion. Each pharmacy was also personally visited by an Indigenous Outreach Worker who presented the survey and assessed the overall preparedness of the community pharmacy to support Aboriginal and Torres Island People.

Summary of Results

• All the pharmacies surveyed dispense CTG prescriptions on a weekly basis;
• All surveyed staff were aware of the measure, however there are still some staff with a limited understanding of the program;
• No pharmacies provided formal written CTG training for new pharmacy staff;
• Most pharmacies are willing to display support materials, however there is very limited resources available assist pharmacies to promote and educate consumers about the measure;
• CTG Marking visibility is low and is the major reason CTG scripts are missed, most pharmacy staff supported a stamp or similar to increase visibility;
• The majority of pharmacy staff are generally enthusiastic about undertaking formalised cultural responsiveness training and CTG training.