ADVANCED Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) has welcomed the WA Government’s $829 million boost to public hospital funding as part of the record $1.4 billion health investment in the 2025-26 WA Budget, but warned that infrastructure alone is not enough.

With pharmacists and technicians essential to multidisciplinary care teams, AdPha President Tom Simpson (pictured) said the Government’s additional $3.2 billion in health infrastructure over four years must be matched with workforce investment if real improvements in care are to be delivered.

“More hospital beds are only effective if there are enough people to staff them – without more doctors, nurses and pharmacists, we risk stretching the system even further,” he said.

AdPha also welcomed the budget’s $1.3 million for the Enhanced Access Community Pharmacy Pilot (PD 20 Jun) but said public hospitals must now catch up – especially in rolling out collaborative prescribing models like Pharmacist Partnered Medication Prescribing (PPMP).

“The evidence is clear – PPMP improves safety, reduces hospital stays, and frees up time for doctors and nurses,” Simpson said.

“It’s ten times safer for patients and cuts length of stay by 10%.

“If the Government is serious about reducing ramping and boosting system efficiency, a statewide rollout of PPMP must be part of the strategy.

“It’s cost-effective, scalable, and already proven.”

Simpson also welcomed the $75 million committed to the Stage 1 rollout of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) program, but warned that its success hinges on the early involvement of pharmacists.

“Digital transformation is only as strong as its foundation, and if pharmacists aren’t at the table from day one, we risk building a system that doesn’t work for medicines – the most-used healthcare intervention,” he said.

“Pharmacy informatics expertise ensures EMRs are safe, interoperable and clinically usable, especially when it comes to medicines management.” KB

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