Advocates Say 60-Day Dispensing Plan Could Put Pharmacists Out of Work

A pharmacy in Forest Lake on the southside of Brisbane is seen in Brisbane, Australia, on May 14, 2015. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Advocacy groups are concerned that Australians’ access to medicine may be affected if the federal government goes ahead with a plan to create a 60-day dispensing system.

The plan will mean that Australians can effectively buy two months’ worth of medicines rather than one month’s supply, which Health Minister Mark Butler has said will make the cost of medicines significantly cheaper, with an estimated six million Australians seeing their costs halved for 320 common medicines.

“Not only does it deliver cheaper medicines for six million Australians who are on the same medicine, usually not just for years, but for decades,” the health minister said.

“We know from overseas evidence it improves medication compliance because pretty much every country we usually compare ourselves to already does this. And it will also free up millions of GP consults which are desperately needed right now for serious health conditions, rather than just going to a doctor to get a routine repeat script.”

The plan is disputed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, which says it will place 6,000 pharmacies at risk of closing. They also say that a new survey shows hundreds of pharmacies are already reducing opening hours, cutting staff, and increasing fees for services as a result of the upcoming change.

“The nationwide survey of 1,000 community pharmacies conducted by the Pharmacy Guild shows almost one in four (23 percent) have reduced opening hours, and more than half (54 percent) have increased fees for services,” the Guild said on Aug. 9, noting that 250 pharmacy workers have also been made redundant.

Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler speaks at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 28, 2022 . Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Better Access Australia Chairwoman Felicity McNeill said she is worried about the impacts the policy will have on pharmacy operating hours and access to medicine.

“Cheaper medicine is worth nothing if there is no one in your local area to dispense it,” Ms. McNeill said.

“Better Access Australia are seeing huge pressure on pharmacies to deliver the Opiate Dependence Treatment Program because the government didn’t do its homework before rushing out the announceable.

“The Parliament needs to give everyone in the community the time to make sure this reform works for everyone: patients, pharmacies, suppliers, wholesalers, government.”

Meanwhile, Pain Australia Chief Executive Giulia Jones is also concerned about the effects on rural and regional communities. She would like to see the policy delayed until the viability of pharmacies in rural and regional areas is guaranteed.

“We believe there needs to be time to ensure no rural and regional pharmacies will close when people with chronic pain already struggle to get access to the pain medications they need in rural and regional Australia,” she said.

Plan Gets Crossbench Support

The comments from Ms. McNeill and Ms. Jones come as the Coalition attempted on Aug. 10 to defer voting on the federal government’s health policy.

The Coalition has said that while it supports 60-day dispensing and cheaper medicines, it is against the government’s approach, arguing pharmacies would face closures and might need to lay off staff to cover costs due to lost income, which could hurt Australians’ access to medicines.

However, it failed after the Greens and independent Senators David Pocock, Jaquie Lambie, and Lidia Thorpe voted against the deferral.

Greens Senator Jordan Steele -Johns said that concerns about the plan should be eased since his party had worked with the federal government to provide “additional support to regional and rural pharmacies, along with a commitment to bring forward the negotiation on the next Community Pharmacy Agreement.”

“We’ve heard from the community that their priority is cost of living relief; additionally, the move to 60-day dispensing will support disabled and chronically ill people as they will undertake fewer trips to the pharmacist,” he said.