Page 14 - Demo

FEATURE
EMMA MCBRIDE
is the ALP Member for Dobell in NSW. She
has been a practising pharmacist for close to
20 years with a special interest in mental health. Prior to her election, she was the Deputy Director of Pharmacy for the Central Coast Local Health District.
BE OUR GUEST
Health always central for Emma
BY EMMA MCBRIDE MP
Five pharmacists have served in the Federal Parliament – John Hodges (a Minister in the Fraser Government), Tony Lamb, Tony Lawler, Jim Snow and myself.
“Our profession, and our representative bodies, have a seat at the table when it comes to forming policy.”
With the exception of 1997, every year between 1972 and 2001 saw at least one pharmacist sitting in the House of Representatives. It has been 15 years since Tony Lawler left the Chamber, and I am the first woman to chart this particular course.
My colleagues in the House come from many and varied backgrounds. Teachers, lawyers, economists, disability workers, journalists – the list goes on. Each of us brings our own experience and skills to the role. In my case, having a background in health is central to the way I view public policy.
I pursued a career in politics because of a deeply held belief that the actions of Government have a profound impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals
and communities. In the region I represent (on the Central Coast of NSW) employment, particularly
for young people, limited economic growth and increasing inequality are challenges. However, with a rapid increase in population, the provision of quality, affordable, local services – particularly healthcare – is one of the highest priorities.
Mental health
For the largest part of my career I was the specialist mental health pharmacist at Wyong Hospital. Those living with mental illness are particularly vulnerable and the lack of resources for public hospitals and community mental health teams is alarming and must be urgently addressed. Patients are increasingly cared for in the community, but if support services are not in place or adequately resourced then patients, their carers and the community suffer. I entered this role with a firm commitment to improve the care of those living with mental illness.
I took a policy to my community at the election to establish a $10 million trial of respite care for people living with dementia and those who care for them. The Central Coast was to be one of two trial sites
in a joint project between Alzheimer’s Australia
and the University of Wollongong. It is important
for leaders and policymakers to be aware of the impact of dementia on communities, now and in the future. Of course it’s harder to introduce policy from Opposition, but this is a project that is definitely needed and close to my heart and I will work to keep it on the agenda.
My region does not have a community palliative care facility and I am working with a local organisation
to establish a place where people can receive end of life care comfortably and with their loved ones. Our conversations around primary healthcare, chronic disease, pain management and palliative care need to progress and one of the greatest privileges of being a Member of Parliament is to be in a position to advance these debates.
Recently, I was pleased to co-host the cross-party launch of Professor Stephen Duckett’s Grattan Institute Report into sugar-sweetened beverages, which calls for a tax on sugary drinks to offset health costs relating to obesity and reduce sugar intake. Through my experience in mental health, I have seen firsthand the consequences of obesity in vulnerable patient populations. While no single measure will address our obesity crisis, price signals can play a role in changing behaviour. Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages – most of which contain no nutritional benefit and are heavily consumed by children – have been successfully introduced overseas and we should look closely at the outcomes.
Science is precise, policy is not. Policy should not be exempt from scrutiny or change. I am listening to my community as they tell me about the transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and while the principles remain strong, it’s important that clients and stakeholders have the opportunity to share their experience with the NDIS. The stories I hear are not always positive, and we are obliged to acknowledge and address those concerns. Public policy is best when it is shaped by those with lived experience.
Our profession, and our representative bodies, have a seat at the table when it comes to forming policy. While we await the final report in the King Review,
I remain a strong advocate for the current system
of community pharmacy, including pharmacy ownership by pharmacists.
Looking forward, pharmacy must remain at the policymaking table. As pressure on the health sector grows, and technology changes the way consumers access health information, the delivery of quality, professional advice and services – from medicines experts – is more important, not less. In this context, the public is best served when we work together.
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Australian Pharmacist January 2017 I ©Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.