By Matthew Sims
Terry White Chemmart Cranbourne owner Andy Om said they may have to look at cutting down on the services they provide when the Federal Government’s 60-day dispensing policy comes into effect on Friday September 1.
On Wednesday 26 April, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced the intention to allow millions of Australians to buy two months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription.
From September 1, Australians with a chronic condition would benefit from cheaper medicines on about 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) under the first stage of the Albanese Government’s new 60-day dispensing policy, treating a range of conditions including cardiovascular disease, Crohn’s disease, gout, heart failure, high cholesterol, hypertension, osteoporosis and ulcerative colitis.
Once fully implemented, the 60-day prescribing policy would provide doctors with the option to prescribe a two-month supply of more than 320 medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to Australians with stable, ongoing conditions. The current dispensing limit is for a one-month supply only.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has opposed the change, due to local community pharmacies picking up the cost of the policy, claiming it would mean they would receive the same funding from the government for twice the amount of work.
Mr Om said they were already starting to look at how the changes would impact their income and overall business.
“It definitely affects pharmacies,” he said.
“It may affect the way we roster the staff levels.
“Some of the services may be limited as well.”
Mr Om said the changes would impact those who needed the most help, as they may have to start charging for deliveries.
“It’s devastating,” he said.
“It’s a massive slap in the face.
“It is heartbreaking to have to do that to our customers.”
Mr Om said they would have to make changes to stay open.
“It really has forced our hand,” he said.
“It’s either that or we fold up shop.”
Cranbourne East resident Jan Coate said she thought the policy was “ridiculous”.
“The chemists are going to go broke,” she said.
“The government is just getting away with murder.”
A new report by the Commonwealth Bank and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has revealed an overwhelming number of pharmacists would be charging for what were previously free services, cutting staff, trading hours, and believe the value of their pharmacy will fall over the next three years due to the changes.
The ‘Commbank Pharmacy Insights Report 2023’ found 79 per cent of pharmacists were reviewing free services by charging for them instead, 62 per cent were looking to reduce the number of pharmacy assistants, 48 per cent were considering reducing their opening hours and 66 per cent expected the value of their pharmacy to decline over the next three years.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president Professor Trent Twomey said the report supported their repeated warnings that 60-day dispensing in its current form will leave both patients and their local community pharmacies worse off.
“For months we have been sounding the alarm on behalf of patients and pharmacists,” he said.
“Patients, aged care residents and pharmacists will suffer because the government is refusing to genuinely engage and fix these problems.”
