Chemist Warehouse, Australia’s largest discount pharmacy retail chain, has sounded a warning about proposed changes to prescribing and dispensing rules that are being pushed by doctors. Mario Tascone, the director of Chemist Warehouse, has expressed concerns that doubling prescription lengths and increasing the amount of medicine Australians can get with each script could result in drug shortages.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association have called on the federal government to allow chemists to dispense 60 days supply and 12-month scripts for 143 medicines used to treat chronic conditions, a proposal that has also gained support from the Consumer Health Forum. These changes were recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in 2018 but were never implemented.
Mr. Tascone acknowledged that the changes being proposed by doctors could work, but emphasized that pharmacies would need adequate time to prepare, as they were already struggling with supply issues. Speaking on 3AW Radio, he stated that the proposal was a good idea “in principle”, but expressed concerns about potential shortages of common drugs if the supply chain was not managed properly. He further stated, “So as long as there was a long lead time it will work well if you get the supply chain right. But today, to introduce double dispensing is just kicking a big own goal — you’d run out of medicines pretty quick.”
Paediatric neurologist turned independent MP Monique Ryan has supported the proposed changes, stating that it would relieve pressure on general practitioners by reducing unnecessary routine visits to get repeat prescriptions and save Australians with chronic diseases up to $180 a year per medication. Dr. Ryan has urged the federal government to “cut red tape” and improve access to medicines to make Medicare more efficient and cost-effective.
On the other hand, the Pharmacy Guild has challenged the proposed changes and has written to every federal MP, including Anthony Albanese, urging them not to introduce the changes. Instead, the lobby group is campaigning for a further reduction in the maximum Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicine co-payment from $30 to $19, which was introduced by Labor after last year’s federal election. The Pharmacy Guild estimates that this reduction would cost the federal budget an additional $920 million over four years.
It’s worth noting that Chemist Warehouse is not a member of the Pharmacy Guild. The clash between the doctors’ and pharmacists’ lobby groups comes amidst a broader debate over the future of Medicare and how the government can ensure sustainable public health funding, considering issues such as inflation and a shortage of general practitioners.
Source: news.com.au