Green Cross Health and Natalie Gauld Ltd. win 'Ko Awatea International Excellence In Health Improvement Award 2015'

On the 24th September the Ko Awatea International Excellence in Health Improvement Awards were held as part of the 4th International APAC forum hosted by Ko Awatea in Auckland. The prestigious Awards were held at Auckland’s Shed 10 on Queen’s Wharf as part of the Annual APAC Conference.

The awards look to recognise excellence in 9 categories in the areas of health innovation and quality improvement on an international basis. The award entered, and won by Green Cross Health and Natalie Gauld Ltd, was the Team/Organisational Award for Developing a Flexible and Sustainable Workforce. Their entry was entitled ‘Expanding the Role of Community Pharmacists to meet the needs of Patients in Primary Care’. The Award was accepted by Dr Natalie Gauld and Alison Van Wyk – Executive, Professional Services - Green Cross Health.

The winning entry focused on the work that has been done by the Green Cross Health team and Dr Gauld in the area of medicines reclassification, to allow greater access to medicines for New Zealanders by better utilisation of the Pharmacist workforce.

In 2009, The Minister of Health highlighted the under-utilisation of Pharmacists in the New Zealand health workforce within an environment of increasing need for health services and a constrained fiscal environment, and it was noted that there was a need to address barriers to deliver innovative Pharmacy and Pharmacist services.

In order to bring about change, Pharmacists needed to be prepared for offering the new services. A gradual approach was taken and a straight-forward reclassification of Vitamin D–related topical psoriasis treatment with training materials and algorithm for supply was the first reclassification targeted.

One or two reclassifications were then targeted per year, with seven approved to date including the Influenza vaccination and trimethoprim. Some reclassifications were firsts for the Western World.


Alison Van Wyk and Natalie Gauld. Photo courtesy of Acumen Republic

The award recognised how pharmacists have become upskilled to provide the new services these reclassifications provided. Over 500 Pharmacists are now vaccinating throughout New Zealand. Over 1600 Community Pharmacists undertook trimethoprim training in their own time, so most community Pharmacies can now provide trimethoprim. It recognises the strong safety around the reclassifications, and how Pharmacists have taken their new roles seriously, using screening tools, providing written and verbal advice to patients and participating in research.

The Minister of Health in October 2012 applauded the trimethoprim reclassification and encouraged more of such innovation. This reclassification also saw Natalie and Alison win the Pharmacy Today award for best clinical service and the overall Supreme Award in 2013.

Alison Van Wyk said today: “We are delighted to have won this award and we accepted it on behalf of Community Pharmacists throughout New Zealand who are a vital part of the Primary Health Care Team, and who deliver patient centred care + advice every day.”

Natalie Gauld adds: “Pharmacists help their community in many ways, and they have embraced the opportunity to provide new services responsibly to help their community. It is heartening to have  the international Health Excellence Awards recognise the new roles of pharmacy that makes the pharmacist workforce able to contribute even further to primary health care.”
 
The Ko Awatea Award was given in recognition of expansion of Pharmacists’ roles that has been brought about through the re-classification work of Green Cross Health and Natalie Gauld Ltd. Not only has it increased the range of potential services offered by community Pharmacy it also ensures that the Pharmacy profession continues to work  at the top of their scope of practice, most importantly it has helped New Zealanders have increased convenient access to medicines.