Pharmacy Daily | Guild challenges Ramsay

THE Pharmacy Guild has fired a shot across the bow of Ramsay Health Care, after the hospital giant confirmed the development of a new pharmacy "hyper-store" in central Melbourne.

The company is leasing 300 square metres in Bourke Street, with Fairfax quoting a Ramsay spokesperson saying it would be a "full line Ramsay pharmacy providing a full service model" - including dispensing, consultation areas and space for ancillary health services.

The move is part of Ramsay's push to expand beyond the hospital walls, with the company recently revealing it wants to create a nationwide Ramsay Pharmacy network (PD 31 Aug).

In a statement issued yesterday Guild president George Tambassis said "State and Territory governments have legislated that community pharmacies must be owned by registered pharmacists - and it is imperative that these laws are upheld".

While Ramsay's broadening into retail pharmacy is part of the ongoing competitive landscape, "there are certain regulatory requirements around pharmacy ownership...and the Guild believes these must be complied with and enforced," Tambassis added.

He highlighted statements made by all political parties in the lead-up to the recent Federal election, which "all committed in writing to pharmacist-only ownership of community pharmacy".

"Australians have made it very clear that they want their health system to put patients before profits.

"That is why it is critical that community pharmacies continue to be owned and controlled by practising professional pharmacists rather than big corporates which, by law, must put their shareholders first," Tambassis added.

He said the Guild will work with governments and regulators across the country "to ensure that pharmacist-only, pharmacy ownership laws are maintained, enforced and, if necessary, strengthened so that their clear public intent is not undermined".