Independent review bid on phamarcy changes

PHARMACISTS are backing a new report that calls for an independent evidence-based review on Federal Government plans for 60-day dispensing.

Inglewood’s Kel Selwanes welcomed Monday’s report release.

“This report commissioned by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia backs up the concerns of community pharmacies in the Loddon Shire and across rural Australia,” Mr Selwanes.

“The Government needs to suspend its plans for change from 30-day to 60-day dispensing, consult and gather all the facts.”

The report by economist Henry Ergas found 20,000 jobs would be lost, 665 pharmacies closed and Australia’s most vulnerable patients will suffer under the Government’s 60-day dispensing policy.

The report has also recommended the policy, due to start on September 1, be delayed and the community and pharmacy sector be properly consulted. Conducted by Mr Ergas with Tulipwood Advisory and the Relational Insights Data Lab at Griffith University, the report found elderly people with chronic health conditions and regional Australians would suffer.

“In addition to the closure of 665 pharmacies, a further 900 will be at risk of closing due to significant financial pressure.

“To deal with these closures and cost pressures, pharmacies will cut opening hours, including on weekends and end free services for patients such as blood pressure monitoring, home delivery of medicines and diabetes and asthma programs.”

The report also says the Government’s policy would cut $4.5 billion from community pharmacies over four years, and the money taken out was not being reinvested, negatively impacting millions of patients.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia president Trent Twomey said the independent report was a wake-up call for the Federal Government given its policy was announced without consultation or modelling, as confirmed in Senate Estimates, to understand the vast negative impacts.

“This independent report confirms the policy is catastrophic in its current form, leading to over 20,000 job losses, more than 650 pharmacies shutting, weekend opening hours drastically scaled back and millions of free services cut,” Mr Twomey said.

“You scratch the surface and look behind the positive headline, and you find only a small number of people benefit compared to millions of Australians who will either miss out, pay more, or have reduced services.

“We welcome the Health Minister’s commitment last week in Federal Parliament to a viable pharmacy network but his words need to be matched with action.”

The report was commissioned by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and endorsed and supported by the Australian Patients Association, Pain Australia, National Pharmaceutical Services Association and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

Mr Selwanes said: “We want meaningful consultation with all stakeholders in the community pharmacy sector.

“We don’t want our patients being worse off which they will be under the Government plan,” he said.