Doctors Fight Chemists on Child Jabs

March 22, 2004

Just as a reminder - under the Federal government's General Practice

Immunisation Initiative (GPII) scheme, doctors receive $6.00 ($3.00 in

QLD) each time they vaccinate a child and report the vaccination to the

Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR), they get $18.50 on

top of their $21.50 medicare rebate (this may have gone up) when they

vaccinate a child within 1 month of when the vaccine is due (one reason

for those lovely reminder notes you get from your GP) and at the end of

the year, if they get 80-90% of their patient's children fully

vaccinated according to the schedule, they get a bulk payment which

could amount to tens of thousands of dollars.

The government budgets over $110 million for this scheme and yet, when

it comes to tracking adverse reactions to vaccines or independent

testing of these shots, there are no funds.

I think someone needs to talk with and Tony Abbott about

priorities, don't you?

Take care,

Meryl

[Norton AntiSpam] " Doctors Fight Chemists on

Child Jabs "

On this same note, In the US, i wonder how the doctors are going to

continue with the " free " " well-child " visits if they aren't administering

vaccination injections, compensation elsewhere?

" Doctors Fight Chemists on Child Jabs "

Sydney Sun Herald (AU) (www.sunherald.com.au) (03/21/04) P. 37; Wood,

Miranda

General practitioners in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, are objecting

to

a proposal that would grant pharmacists the authority to administer

vaccines to children. This latest argument between pharmacists and

doctors

highlights the recent power struggle between the two groups in

Australia.

Dr. Gullota, vice president of the NSW Australian Medical

Association

says the immunization project could put children at risk since

pharmacists

would not be able to handle a child's allergic reaction to a shot.

Also,

he notes that vaccinations are a way for general practitioners to keep

track of a child's growth and health and to build a good doctor-patient

relationship. However, the Pharmacy Guild and the Pharmaceutical

Society

of Australia are both supporting the proposal, which they say would help

improve the nation's child immunization rates. The measure is still

under

investigation, as officials try to determine the safety and feasibility

of

such a project.

PeoplePC Online

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http://www.peoplepc.com

_____

March 22, 2004

I started researching the vaccine issue while I was pregnant, and when we were

shopping for insurance(better late than never,LOL) i wondered why " well child

visits " were $0 co pays. I thought to myself, they couldn't be getting cash

outright and it be merely considered incentives, could they? So then, my

questioned was answered during my son's first year, every 3 months i scheduled

appnts just so they could do the standard " well child checkups " or so i thought.

Do you know I was charged a co-pay for every " well-child visit " ? When i arrived

the clerk would ask if we were recving vaccinations, no, ok your co-pay amt is

due, cash, check , or charge? So the first time this happened i waited until

seeing what the paperwork said as far as reason for visit, because if it said

" well-child " it was going to be too easy! Every time, my paperwork said

" re-check. " Claiming that they were following up on the one and only ear

infection he had at 4mos old. I cancelled but kept all the records and benefit

booklets for future reference, but it amazed me how they can be so obvious about

what is really going on and yet it be legal......I wonder what the US

compensation numbers are..

Thanks Meryl!

RE: " Doctors Fight Chemists on Child Jabs "