EMERGENCY dispensing measures introduced during the bushfire and COVID-19 crises are set to be extended "for the foreseeable future", Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, says.
Addressing a meeting of the World Pharmacy Council last week, Hunt praised the efforts of pharmacists across the globe for their efforts to support communities through the COVID crisis, which he described as, "a challenge like no other we have seen".
"Pharmacists have been truly heroic," he said.
"We have [seen] an amazing pharmacist network in Australia throughout COVID-19 and this is replicated around the world.
"[In Australia] we have had 5,000-plus community pharmacies that kept their doors open throughout COVID-19 despite the risk of infection and the abuse that some copped in the early days.
"Pharmacists and pharmacies have been an incredible community support not only in Australia but also around the world.
"In conjunction with pharmacists and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, we have introduced continued dispensing arrangements...and we will be extending this for the foreseeable future."
Under current measures approval for continued dispensing is set to expire at the end of this month, with Federal, State and Territory governments needing to extend authorities to facilitate ongoing use of the emergency measure.
The commitment to extending continued dispensing follows Hunt's announcement that the Federal Government has allocated an additional $2 billion to ensure the continuation of COVID measures including the Home Medicines Service and telehealth consultations (PD 18 Sep).
"This is subsidised by the Federal Government with a payment to pharmacies for each home delivery resulting in over one million deliveries and 80% of our community pharmacies involved... temporary changes that are far more likely to be permanent changes that modernise our delivery system," Hunt said.
"Pharmacies have also played a significant and emerging role in the provision of vaccinations and further work is being done to have pharmacy as part of the distribution and recording network for the COVID vaccine when it becomes available."
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