COMMUNITY pharmacies are calling for support, regarding the 60 day Prescribing Policy saying that it will have a significant impact on their services in some cases their doors will simply close.
Pharmacist Jonathan Miller from Foote’s Pharmacy Walloon said the proposed 60 day Prescribing Policy is not at all getting Australia in line with other countries as described by the Federal Government.
“There are vast differences between the various models and Australia’s proposed 60 Day Dispensing provides no flexibility in regard to professional pharmacist discretion or lessening supply back to one month for medicines that are in short supply,” he said.
“Australia has one of the highest co-payments and this is something community pharmacies have been trying to raise with the Federal Government.
“The government needs to look at reducing co-payments to ensure affordable, equitable and viable pharmaceuticals are available for everyone in the community.”
Since this dispensing proposal was announced Jonathan said he has felt enormous pressure to keep positive through what he says will ultimately ruin community pharmacies.
“The 60 day dispensing policy is forcing pharmacists to deliver double the amount of medication to our customers, this is a huge concern, for the health of our customers, and also for medication shortages,” he said.
“Currently there are huge stock supply issues, which resulted in 22 customers being turned away from my store in one day due to the unavailability to be able to fill their scripts.
“I do not like to be in a position where I have to tell vulnerable customers that their medication is unavailable and with the 60 day dispensing this awkward situation will only get worse.
“Waste is also another issue, because the dosage and amount of medication that some people need can change each time they visit their doctor.
“On one visit to the doctor someone may be prescribed a 60 day script, then if the same person visits their doctor within that 60 day period where their script then might change, that previous medication is wasted, because it is no longer needed.
“This extra medication then sits at home, it may be confused with new medications or even accidently taken by someone else, this is a dangerous situation that may then lead to a visit to the already inundated hospital system.
“Regular contact between customer, doctor and pharmacist is important and if it is more frequent, medication supply is kept at a safe level.”
Jonathan added that 60 day Dispensing Policy will have many serious flow on effects.
“Staff cuts, and job losses are at the forefront of the problem, because business owners need to level out extra costs associated with this change,” he said.
“Extra services, such as free delivery of medications, vaccinations, one on one advice and other personal services will no longer be available, because simply it is not viable.
“Pharmacy owners are not trying to be greedy, with owning a business comes costs, such as rent and associated bills, if profits are diminished then there has to be some really hard decisions made.”
The Pharmaceutical Safety Net which runs between January and December has a limit of $262.80 for each person, couple or family combined.
“Once this $262.80 limit is reached then each script after that for the year will then be dispensed to the customer at no cost,” Jonathon said.
“The 60 day dispensing will delay the safety net being reached, therefore the chance of free medication diminishes, so really customers are paying more not less.
“Australia will not be brought into line with other countries, as the funding model for this proposal serves to take every dollar of saving which is $2.8 billion from the very people tasked with providing the service, that is, the community pharmacy.
“Government serves to be the biggest winner out of this.
“Currently the co-payment amount in Australia is higher than many other countries in the world, we need an affordable policy that will benefit the customers and that will also not affect the viability of the community pharmacies.”
