By Lachlan Ellis<\/p>\n
A doubling in the number of medicines patients can receive will save those with prescriptions money, but pharmacists say the move will worsen a medicine shortage crisis.<\/p>\n
The Federal Government announced last week that it intends to introduce 60-day dispensing for medicines in this year\u2019s Commonwealth Budget, with patients currently only able to get a 30-day supply per visit. <\/p>\n
The Government says Australians will save up to $180 a year as a result of the change, but pharmacists are worried the move will lead to panic buying, hoarding of medicines, and increased overdoses.<\/p>\n
President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Trent Twomey, said the Guild has \u201cvery real concerns over patient safety\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Federal Government puts this proposal in the Budget, I am very concerned for millions of Australian patients who need regular access to critical medicine. There are already some 400 medicines in short supply in Australia and around 70 more at risk of becoming short,\u201d Professor Twomey said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAustralians may not be able to access medicines equally, with one patient having double the amount and another missing out. Local Labor MPs will need to explain to their communities why their community pharmacist cannot supply critical medicine to patients when they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lauren Haworth is Pharmacist in Charge at TerryWhite Chemmart Maddingley, and said the pharmacy already has patients who have been waiting months for their vital medication.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho knows what\u2019s going to happen. I think a lot of our anger comes from the unknown and how quickly this has happened, and the fact that all the plights of the pharmacists in this country \u2013 both owners and employee pharmacists \u2013 have basically gone completely unheard. We\u2019ve been very vocal about this, and we\u2019ve not had a single decent reply from the Federal Government about our concerns,\u201d Ms Haworth told the Moorabool News.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s smaller community pharmacies that will be most significantly impacted. One of the scariest things for me is there\u2019ll be more people presenting to urgent care unable to get their medicines. I\u2019ve just had a conversation with a woman who lives in our community, she\u2019s really concerned about the medication she takes for heart failure, that she needs to stay alive.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s just one person, imagine how many people there are in our community who are anxious about not being able to access their medicine. It just breaks my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Haworth said the pharmacy\u2019s list of medications that are out of stock is extensive, with 17 long-term out of stock medicines on the list. Included on that list is medication a patient has been unable to receive since early January.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat medicine that patient is waiting for is for atrial fibrillation, her heartbeat doesn\u2019t beat correctly. She\u2019s been waiting for that medication since January\u2026so she had to be swapped to a less optimal option. She\u2019s not the only one, another patient has been waiting for that same drug since the beginning of March,\u201d Ms Haworth said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s real faces and real patients standing in our store behind these decisions they\u2019re making. Community pharmacists don\u2019t become community pharmacists to tell people we\u2019re out of stock \u2013 we become community pharmacists to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lachlan Ellis A doubling in the number of medicines patients can receive will save those with prescriptions money, but pharmacists say the move will worsen a medicine shortage crisis. The Federal Government announced last week that it intends to introduce 60-day dispensing for medicines in this year\u2019s Commonwealth Budget, with patients currently only able […]<\/p>\n