Speaking with Carlene McMaugh, Tassone warned that community pharmacies were already planning to cut a range of services, to offset the forecast losses stemming from the controversial Budget measure.  

“There are pharmacies reviewing whether they can continue to service residential aged care facilities, based on what 60-day dispensing will represent from 1 September,” he said.  

“If there’s pharmacies potentially walking away from these contracts, or not sure whether they can continue them, or needing to review pricing – we have a perverse policy outcome where our older, most vulnerable, patients are actually worse off, in that they have less access to services from their local pharmacy. 

“They may need to pay more for their home deliveries, or Webster packing, or dose administration aid services, whilst not actually receiving a financial benefit in out-of-pocket expenses if they are still reaching the safety net.” 

Tassone said that the Guild had been in negotiations with the Department of Health and Aged Care for much of April about the government’s plan, but a scheduled meeting on 24 April had been cancelled, with the Minister for Health announcing the policy two days later.  

“The Guild remains committed to working with the government, that if they are insistent on taking forward 60-day dispensing as a measure for patients, that we sit down at the table and find a way forward that won’t leave patients worse off, and won’t leave pharmacies worse off,” he said.  

“But we need to sit down to discuss that further together, because at this stage, as announced, this measure will have dramatic negative impacts for patients and pharmacies.”  

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