THE state government will consider a joint buying arrangement with Victoria for medical supplies and consumables as a way to save costs.
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Health Minister Michael Ferguson told a Legislative Council estimates committee last week that he had discussed with Victorian Health Minister David Davis an offer to join a buying pool.
But Mr Ferguson said he wasn’t yet sure that it was ‘‘the best way to get the best deal for the state’’.
‘‘It might be, but it is something that I have asked the department to be aware of and to investigate,’’ Mr Ferguson said.
‘‘We are a small state and Victoria is about 10 times our size, and they have significant buying power that we do not have.
‘‘Yet at the same time, there are some individual groups of items where we are already getting a better deal.’’
Independent health analyst Martyn Goddard said it was a necessary move that could save tens of millions of dollars a year.
‘‘We’ve got 500,000 people, and you’re dealing with – in case of drugs, for instance – some of the biggest and most powerful companies in the world,’’ Mr Goddard said.
‘‘[A joint purchasing arrangement] would give us immensely more power to negotiate, and together, with other states, we would be far stronger than any of us would be alone.’’