Pharmacy suppliers jostle for e-bonanza
Karen Dearne
JULY 13, 2004
PHARMACY suppliers are jostling to cash in on Health Insurance Commission online systems as former federal health minister Michael Wooldridge backs a new entrant, Advance Healthcare Group.
Dr Wooldridge and former ACT chief minister Kate Carnell are advising Advance as it embarks on US-style direct-to-consumer online prescription drug sales.
Advance Healthcare, a product of the merger of medical distributors Inovax/Cottman and Alchemist, wants to aggressively boost its consumer business.
Alchemist has been relaunched as Pharmeasy, an online pharmacy information provider that will "dispense your medication and have it hand-delivered to your home or workplace".
Test marketing is under way, with NSW private health insurer HCF offering members a free trial.
The Pharmeasy business model is based, in part, on changes to the federal Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that will push up prices for users.
Online prescribing and eligibility checking will boost direct-to-consumer services once doctors are able to email scripts directly to pharmacies.
At present, patients using online pharmacies are obliged to send a paper script by post before medication can be supplied.
Dr Wooldridge, who as health minister pioneered e-health here, and high-profile pharmacy lobbyist Ms Carnell are "providing valuable input to Advance's strategies and programs" as advisory board members.
Advance chairman Peter Woods said the HIC's PBS Online claim processing would deliver benefits to Pharmeasy.
"This system will enable simultaneous online PBS prescription validation and requests for payment," Mr Woods told shareholders on May 31.
"Important benefits for us will be efficiences via the streamlined system and quicker payment.
"The government is also testing a system that will provide, among other things, electronic medical records, and an electronic prescription database accessible by pharmacies."
A secure prescription transmission method is essential in replacing the paper-based system.
HIC is working on this issue in consultation with doctors, pharmacists and software vendors.
Source: http://australianit.news.com.au |
