Pharmacy Daily | Guild: “Zero tolerance for PBS fraud”

THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia has issued a strongly worded statement against PBS fraud in response the conviction of suspended pharmacist Ben Huynh, who fronted Parramatta Local Court on Fri last week.

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, Huynh pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining $5.1m by using the details of over 200 patients to make almost 20,000 false PBS claims between Jul 2014 and Oct 2023.

"Today's article in The Daily Telegraph about PBS fraud is extremely abnormal but nonetheless deeply shocking and concerning," a Guild spokesperson said.

"Authorities should throw the book at those involved - there should be zero tolerance for PBS fraud," they continued.

"This behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values, standards and professionalism of the pharmacy profession in Australia."

The Guild pointed out that this appears to be an isolated incident, "and does not reflect the world class primary health care provided by the overwhelming majority of community pharmacists".

It also stated that the scale of this fraud "does not compare in scale or impact to the widespread and well-documented fraud seen in other parts of the healthcare system, including within Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) programs".

"That being said, no fraud is acceptable," the Guild reiterated.

Huynh operated the Cabramatta East Day and Night Pharmacy and was first arrested in 2023 and charged with "obtaining a financial advantage by deception".

Several luxury cars were seized and his pharmacist registration was suspended (PD 08 Jan 2024).

He remains on conditional bail and will face Parramatta District Court next month when a sentencing date will be set - he could face up to 10 years in jail.

"The Pharmacy Guild of Australia supports strong regulatory oversight and will continue to work closely with authorities to ensure the integrity of the profession is upheld," it concluded. KB