AFTER lengthy negotiations, the Federal Government has reached an in-principle agreement with the Pharmacy Guild on the sixth community pharmacy agreement, with $18.9billion to be invested over the next five years.
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One of the biggest changes within the new agreement is the inclusion of pharmacists into the primary care space.
Health Minister Sussan Ley said the move should result in cheaper medicines for patients, with the agreement to include the option for pharmacists to discount the patient co-payment by $1, to $5.10.
Ms Ley, who was in Bega this week to speak with local health sector representatives, added that all pharmacy programs would be scrutinised and approved by the government’s independent Medical Services Advisory Committee as part of the Abbott government’s increased focus on evidence-based medicine and transparency, as well as recognising the important role pharmacy plays in the primary care sector.
“For example, a pharmacist will now be able to discount the out-of-pocket price a concessional patient pays for a script from $6.10 to $5.10,” she said.
“This could see the average concession card holder over 65 who uses 43 scripts per year save as much $43 annually under these arrangements.”
There were concerns on Monday from local pharmacists that the co-payment changes would significantly affect their low-income patients who make up the majority of their customers.
One pharmacist present on the day was Vu Nguyen of Cobargo Pharmacy, who disagreed with Ms Ley that his customers would benefit from the co-payment.
“The reason I was there is that I’m concerned about the one dollar co-payment the government is proposing,” Mr Nguyen said.
“What they will do is lift the safety net level, which is 60 at the moment for concession holders.
“It will increase the limit to 72 scripts that the patient now has to reach.”
The majority of Mr Nguyen’s customers in Cobargo are concession holders and he is worried that if he does not pass on the discount to his customers, they will be losing out.
“The government is doing this so the big guys can swallow up the smaller guys,” he said.
“It’s a way of killing off small business.
“I believe that wherever you live in Australia you are entitled to medication and this tips the scale a bit.
“The big players will have more of an advantage.”
With Ms Ley proposing deregulation of the industry, Mr Nguyen is worried his patients won’t get the same care they currently do if big corporations such as Woolworths and Coles enter the marketplace.
“I won’t be able to work more because I won’t be being paid for it, and in rural country towns, people need those extra services,” he said.
“At the moment you have variety and choice because each pharmacist offers services differently, which is better.
“Patients also may or may not know that the government is looking to take medicines such as paracetamol and other blood thinning products off the list, which I do somewhat agree with,” he added.
Mr Nguyen sees the shift into primary care as a positive for his business, as it will finally see their role recognised by the wider community.
“The new agreements have acknowledged the work we do with patients and we won’t just be seen as a retailer,” he said.
Mr Nguyen said he left the forum with mixed feelings and felt Ms Ley did not have enough time to fully understand the way small rural businesses operate.
“I came away from the forum with the gut feeling the government is sure about the co-payment.
“I feel the small guy seems to be missing out a lot these days,” he said.
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