Financial Review, 4 September 2023:
Hundreds of pharmacists were in Canberra for a protest on Monday morning, and many pharmacists attended question time in white uniforms, jeering as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended Labor’s consultation over the plan.
In an already rowdy question time, Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick warned people in public galleries that they were present as observers, not participants, in parliamentary proceedings and should refrain from interjecting.
But hostilities escalated dramatically when members of the group loudly exited the chamber, with many yelling at MPs on the chamber floor below in a co-ordinated exit.
Some shouted “lies” and at least one pharmacist raised his middle fingers as he walked out. The sitting was disrupted for a few minutes…..
Pharmacists leaving House of Representatives visitor's gallery after disrupting Question Time and also allegedly abusing Parliament House staff. IMAGE: Canberra Times
MPs on the Opposition benches in the House of Representatives cat calling & encouraging pharmacists in the Visitor's Gallery during Question Time on 4 September 2023. It is believed that some of the pharmacists were signed in as visitors by one or more Liberal Party MPs. IMAGE: Daily Mail
Because the industry union, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, has run such a virulent campaign against the the federal government’s reduction of prescription medicine costs to eligible consumer/patients via the introduction of 60-day prescriptions for certain medicines and because Liberal & Nationals members of federal parliament are attempting to turn this issue into a political football, there may be a need to restate what the 60-day prescription scheme entails.
Australian Government, Dept. of Health and Aged Care, 4 September 2023:
60-day prescriptions of PBS medicines
Learn about the changes to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicine prescriptions.
From 1 September 2023, nearly 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will have the option of a 60-day prescription. This means many patients can now receive twice the medication for the cost of a single prescription. To qualify, patients must be:
living with an ongoing health condition
assessed by their prescriber to be stable on their current medicine/medicines
have discussed with their prescriber and obtained a new prescription for a 60-day quantity of medicine per dispensing.
The changes are happening in 3 stages over 12 months and will apply to more than 300 medicines once completed on 1 September 2024.
The changes follow advice from the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which recommended it was clinically safe and suitable to allow 60-day prescriptions for eligible patients.
The full list of PBS medicines recommended by PBAC as suitable for dispensing in increased quantities includes some medicines for ongoing health conditions, such as:
asthma
breast cancer
cardiovascular disease
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
constipation
chronic renal failure
Crohn’s disease
depression
diabetes
endometriosis
endometrial cancer
epilepsy
glaucoma and dry eyes
gout
heart failure
high cholesterol
hormonal replacement and modulation therapy
hypertension
osteoporosis
Parkinson’s disease
ulcerative colitis.
The full list of medicines recommended by the PBAC for 60-day prescribing is available on the medicine list for increased dispensing quantities.
Prescribers have the option to prescribe these medicines for either 30 or 60-day prescriptions, according to their professional clinical judgement.
Benefits and cost savings
Patients with a 60-day prescription for a PBS medicine may save up to:
$180 a year, per medicine for Medicare card holders who do not have a concession card
$43.80 a year, per medicine for concession cardholders….
Stage one – available from 1 September 2023
The first stage of medicines available for 60-day prescriptions will support patients stable on their current treatment and living with ongoing health conditions including:
cardiovascular disease
Crohn’s disease
gout
heart failure
high cholesterol
hypertension
osteoporosis
ulcerative colitis.
Stage one includes nearly 100 medicines and represents roughly one third of all the medicines available for 60-day prescriptions.
See the list of stage one medicines. The Department is finalising the order of medicines available in stage 2 and 3.
Medicine supply
The move to 60-day prescriptions won’t cause medicine shortages as patients will still buy the same amount of medicine annually. While eligible patients are able to buy double the medication on a single prescription, demand for medicines will remain unchanged.
Of the more than 300 medicines PBAC recommended for 60-day prescriptions, the vast majority have no shortage of supply in Australia. The Department is monitoring the 60-day dispensing medicine list and has ensured that medicines were only included in stage one if they were not in shortage or at risk of shortage.
Medicine shortages can occur for different reasons, like:
shortages of raw material
transport issues
factory quality control issues
temporary factory closures
natural disasters.
Most shortages are short-term, temporary disruptions and often only limit some brands, strengths or formulations.
The introduction of 60-day prescriptions in three stages over 12 months reduces pharmacy disruption and let’s supply chains adapt, as eligible patients will use existing prescriptions first.
Helping to ensure good medicine supply
Pharmaceutical companies must tell the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of expected medicine shortages. This means any medicine supply not likely to meet normal or projected consumer demand at any point during the next 6 months.
The Australian Government has made changes to the Medicines Supply Security Guarantee. From 1 July 2023, medicine manufacturers must have more onshore stockholdings for chosen brands. This will help make sure there is stock onshore, ready for pharmacy delivery to meet any temporary increase in demand.
Wholesalers must deliver to any pharmacy in 24 hours (excluding weekends or public holidays) if they are running low on medicine. This applies for most medicines.
Reinvestments into pharmacy services
The government commits to supporting a thriving community pharmacy sector.
All money saved by the government from reductions in fees paid to pharmacy for supplying medication to patients will be reinvested into community pharmacy.
This is to support the ongoing vital role of the pharmacy sector and give new opportunities for expanding pharmacists scope of practice.
Note: All yellow highlighting is mine.
Read the full advice at:
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/60-day-prescriptions
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