While clients considered the pharmacy of your choice scheme to be an improvement over the previous system, pharmacies have indicated a number of challenges relating to their role in the administration of the scheme, a study by the Auditor General has found.
The study was intended to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and economy with which the scheme operates.
The National Audit Office elicited feedback from POYC end clients and participating pharmacies.
While the end client feedback on the scheme was, by and large, positive, participating pharmacies expressed a number of concerns.
The majority of the interviewed end clients indicated that they considered the scheme to be an improvement over the older system of dispensation through health centre pharmacies.
On the other hand, while the participating pharmacies commented positively on the support afforded to them by the POYC unit, they indicated a number of challenges relating to their role in the administration of this scheme.
Most notable in this regard, though not within the POYC unit’s control, was the issue of having pharmaceutical products out of stock, which subsequently strained the pharmacist-client relationship.
Central to the perceived overall success of the POYC scheme was feedback received by NAO relating to the significant reduction in end client waiting time. This was coupled with a favourable response indicating the better accessibility of service provided by the numerous pharmacies participating in the scheme, as opposed to the limited number of health centre pharmacies previously addressing such a function.
Limitations emerged with respect to the manner in which the scheme was designed, specifically relating to the attainment of a doctor’s prescription by the end client.
In effect, end clients were faced with the option of calling at a private doctor, or resorting to the health centre option, thereby somewhat mitigating the benefits of accessibility and convenience notionally addressed by the POYC scheme.
Despite the above limitations, the POYC scheme clearly emerged as a client centred means of pharmaceutical entitlement dispensation, particularly when compared to the health centre pharmacy system.
Improved quality of service inevitably results in increased costs and, in this context, NAO gauged the POYC scheme’s costs to represent a substantial increase over that previously incurred by the health centre pharmacy system of dispensation.
Further to the aforementioned feedback elicited from POYC scheme end clients and participating pharmacies, NAO also reviewed the internal processes of the POYC unit. In this context, the POYC unit clearly emerged as a professionally managed entity, suitably equipped to administer a scheme of this magnitude and importance.
NAO concluded that the system of Standard Operating Procedures employed by the unit was commendable, ensuring high levels of consistency thereby contributing towards the reduction of errors.
NAO concluded that the manner by which stock was handled and managed during all the internal and delivery processes was rigorous and very proficient, which ensured high quality service levels.
The report, which may be accessed through the NAO website http://www.nao.gov.mt makes several recommendations.