Broadband access for pharmacies nation-wide
The Australian Government will invest $14.5 million to provide broadband Internet access to pharmacies across Australia.
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9 February 2005
ABB010/05
The Australian Government will invest $14.5 million to provide broadband Internet access to pharmacies across Australia.
This will ensure that pharmacies nationwide have access to always on, high quality, secure broadband services.
Pharmacists and consumers will benefit from increased, faster access to health care information. This should mean swift, secure e-mail communication between pharmacists and other health care providers or pharmaceutical suppliers and rapid, online access to drug references and health information.
Pharmacists will be able to access Continuing Pharmacy Education material online, conduct online banking and ordering and, in future, send Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) claims to the Health Insurance Commission via PBS Online. It will be of particular benefit to pharmacists and consumers living in rural and remote areas.
Broadband access will also support the implementation of the new national health information network – HealthConnect, which includes a system for electronically collecting and storing information about medicines.
The Broadband for Health: Pharmacy program builds on the existing Broadband for Health Program for GPs and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services announced on
19 July 2004. Under this program, the government committed $35 million to provide broadband Internet access in GP surgeries and in Aboriginal Health Services across Australia. Take-up of these services means that more GPs are now securely connected to the health sector and able to access online information. Connectivity between pharmacies and GPs will be improved.
Australia’s 5,000 community pharmacies are now eligible to receive funding to connect to and use business-grade broadband. This features higher speeds and greater security than normal broadband. Pharmacists will be able to select from different broadband providers. Pharmacies that already have broadband access will be able to move to a Qualified Service Provider.
For more information call Mr Abbott's office on ph 02 6277 7220.
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