Morpeth and Telarah pharmacists object to 60-day dispensing policy

Some fear the plan will also cripple their industry with job losses and pharmacy closures.

On Wednesday, April 26, Health Minister Mark Butler announced the change as part of the government's plan to make medicines cheaper, by allowing Australians to buy two months worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription.

Once fully implemented, the 60-day prescribing policy will provide doctors with the option to prescribe a two-month supply of more than 320 medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to Australians.

The current dispensing limit is for a one-month supply only.

Telarah Pharmacy owner and pharmacist Caroline Enright said customers getting double the amount of medication at a time will be detrimental to the already stressed supply chain.

"In my 16 years of practice this is the shortest supply of medicines we've seen, we've seen a lot of medications go out of supply - medications that never used to go out of supply before like antibiotics," she said.

"What ends up happening if you start giving people too much of a dose when dispensing, it'll make the supply shortage worse.

"You'll have some people that have a lot of medications at home, and then other people that miss out and don't get any."

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In his announcement, Health Minister Mark Butler said from September 1, general patients will save up to $180 per year if their medicine is eligible for 60-day dispensing, and concession card holders will save up to $43.80 a year per medicine.

"Every year, nearly a million Australians are forced to delay or go without a medicine that their doctor has told them is necessary for their health," he said.

"This cheaper medicines policy is safe, good for Australians' hip pockets and most importantly good for their health.

"Australian pharmacies already do much more than just dispense medicine and the government is supporting our trusted pharmacists to play an even bigger role in the healthcare of Australians."

Sixty-day dispensing was a recommendation of the clinical experts at the independent Pharmaceutical benefits Advisory Committee in 2018.

Mrs Enright said medications that will be most affected by the change are those for heart disease, diabetes and mental health.

"Really important ones that people need. You're having to try and find alternatives and then those alternatives run out," she said.

"You'll find people hoard and then there'll be wastage. There's also a risk of overdose because you've got more of those medicines on the premises.

"The other thing is, if it's too long between meeting my customers, it's really hard for them to get into the doctor at the moment and often I can advocate for them and make phone calls on their behalf, so they're going to miss out on that as well."

Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson has plans to meet with pharmacists in the electorate to hear out their concerns, as well as general practitioners, who are pro 60-day dispensing.

"I have made representations to the health minister with the relevant concerns of local pharmacists, and I also will be holding a series of round tables with local pharmacists prior to the budget to work through their concerns and the details of our proposed reform," she said.

"I will also be providing the same opportunity to local GPs who have contacted me in support of these reforms to ensure all voices are heard.

"I understand some of the concern from the pharmaceutical community has been around the risk of overdosing or lack of visits to the GP due to this reform.

"Still, the decision to write a script for a two month supply will be made by the patient's doctor, based on their professional clinical judgement, just as the patient's doctor manages treatment plans, including regularity of appointments.

Ms Swanson said every dollar saved by the government will be reinvested back into community pharmacies.

"Our government is working with the pharmaceutical industry to ensure supply chain issues will not be a problem as this policy comes into effect," she said.

"Of the 325 medications this reform will affect only seven are in short supply as a result of global shortages from the COVID pandemic."

Morpeth Pharmacy pharmacist Matthew Nicholas also said the medication supply chain is already under huge strain, "with over 470 medicines out of stock entirely or in short supply".

Mr Nicholas addressed the pharmacy's Facebook followers with an impassioned video on Monday night, holding back tears as he explained the impact this will have on the pharmacy.

"Dictating that pharmacists must supply double quantities to some patients means that the small amount of available stock will be provided to fewer people," he told The Mercury.

"One person will get two boxes, the next person won't get any."

Mr Nicholas said on Tuesday morning alone he had to sent five different patients to different pharmacies to find medicine in stock, or back to their doctor for an alternative.

He also said excess supply at home could mean vulnerable patients, such as those with dementia or children, will be at risk of accidental overdose.

Not only this, he said this policy "will see an increase in medicine wastage, which costs patients and taxpayers money".

"Medications need to change from time to time and often at short notice," he said.

"If a patient has picket up a two month supply and a change in medications is required, then the leftover medicine will need to be discarded.

"Sixty-day dispensing will result in fewer opportunities for oversight of the medicine by pharmacists, who are the medicine experts in our health system.

"With 60-day dispensing, interactions and side-effects won't be identified as soon as they would have been. More people will end up in hospital under this change."

Both Mr Nicholas and Mrs Enright are concerned about how this will affect their pharmacy's revenue.

"The government is selling this as cost saving, but they are transferring the cost to the pharmacies themselves," Mr Nicholas said.

"Ours is a small village pharmacy and the government is proposing a 40 per cent reduction in our dispensing income, which will result in cuts to pharmacy services, high over-the-counter product prices and staff losses.

"More rural and regional pharmacies will close under this proposal if it is not changed."