A review of the National Medicines Policy (NMP) was commissioned in recognition of the substantial changes to the health landscape since the policy was published in 2000. ACRRM has taken the opportunity to comment on the draft of the revised NMP. 

Equitable, safe, timely and affordable access to medicines can lead to improved health outcomes, and the College is pleased to note that the policy specifically notes that all communities in Australia, no matter their location, should have timely access to safe and affordable medicines and related services required to meet their health and wellbeing. 

However, the current reality is that many of our rural and remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are grossly underserved by the healthcare system, and this underservice occurs in tandem with this sector of the population recording greater disadvantage by health, mortality, and morbidity measures as well as by most measures of social determinants of health. This equity gap is spiralling as rural health workforce shortages are exacerbated by diminishing funding for rurally based practice and services. 

You can read the full ACRRM Submission here.