General News
4 May, 2023
Local pharmacist questions medication scheme overhaul
A major Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) overhaul will cut medicine costs for millions by allowing purchase of two months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription, but local pharmacists say it could leave regional communities...
A major Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) overhaul will cut medicine costs for millions by allowing purchase of two months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription, but local pharmacists say it could leave regional communities worse off.
The Federal Government last week announced that from September onwards, around six million Australians with relevant chronic conditions will be able to get their medicines prescribed for 60 days — double the current 30-day supply.
With the policy applicable to more than 320 medicines, it is expected costs will be halved with reduced visits to GPs and pharmacists for repeat prescriptions, saving patients close to $1.6 billion over the next couple of years.
Medications that will be dispensed at higher quantities include various drugs like indacaterol for asthma, doxycycline for severe acne, sacubitril for chronic heart failure and alogliptin for type 2 diabetes, according to a list published by the Pharmacy Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which is the government’s independent expert body.
“Patients with chronic disease at the very least need to make two visits to a GP every year and 12 visits to a pharmacist every year to get their medicines, making co-payments to the pharmacist on every single one of those visits,” Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler said.
“This cheaper medicines policy is safe, good for Australians’ hip pockets and most importantly good for their health.”
Extending support for the new measure, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) reiterated that the decision prioritised patients.
“Cost of living pressures are placing tremendous strain on households across Australia, so there has never been a more important time to save patients money and time,” former Maryborough resident and RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins said.
“In 2018, the PBAC recommended increasing the maximum dispensed quantities of common medications from one to two months’ supply. This change has been recommended because it is in the best interests of patients, and I am pleased that the government has heeded the expert advice.
“The tide is turning, and patient well-being is front and centre — right where it should be.”
However, the proposed changes have received strong opposition from regional pharmacies, citing a range of unintended consequences.
“The government has pulled this out of nowhere without any consultation with the pharmacy community and the people that are in charge of supply,” Maryborough Priceline pharmacist Taren Gill said.
“Now, the pharmacist will only get one infrastructure and handling fee and there’s a really important reason as to why that handling fee exists — it’s because a community pharmacy gets no funding from anywhere else and it also helps to subsidise services we do for free, which includes times when people speak to the pharmacist for advice or use our home delivery service. We don’t have access to the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) like doctors, physiotherapists or lots of other allied health professionals have.
“As a result, we rely on that handling fee. We don’t do it for the money, but we also do need some money to fund our businesses and pay staff and our rent.”
Ms Gill said that some pharmacies are forecasting a 30 percent drop in revenue which could impact operational hours, staff numbers and services offered.
“We’re not public health, we’re a private small business who do our best with one source of public funding, which is the PBS,” she said.
“If a pharmacy is to survive, they are probably going to have a look at where they’re going to cut costs and if a pharmacy like Priceline reduces its hours and staff it affects the public health system in the area.
“A lot of community pharmacies, particularly rurally across Australia, are probably going to close because their values are going to go down and if people have loans with the bank, they might not be able to meet their loan repayments.”
Although the government has said the reform will not influence medicine availability or add to shortages, the reality on ground is different according to Ms Gill.
“Our out-of-stock list is huge. When people come into the pharmacy now for even one month of medicine, I don’t have it, let alone for two months,” she said.
“Why should someone have two months of medicine at home and the next person have no medicine at all.
“There is a significant number of medicines that are out-of-stock at the moment including those on the 60-day list.”
While easier and cheaper access to medicines has been lauded as being beneficial to people with chronic illnesses, Ms Gill said perceptions could change if residents were aware of the problems.
“I believe our customers do see the value in what we provide — the patients that I’ve spoken to hadn’t thought about these possible outcomes and I get it because it does sound like a good idea, but the unintended consequences haven’t been considered fully,” she said.
“The current government is trying to save money and taking it from the wrong place. They shouldn’t be taking it from community pharmacies.”