PBS reforms slammed
May 2, 2014
THE reforms proposed by the
Commission of Audit report (page
one) have been slammed by health
care industry organisations.
The Pharmacy Guild of
Australia said it rejected the
recommendations, saying some
were “glaringly bad” policy
proposals.
The support for pharmacies
in supermarkets showed “gross
ignorance” of community
pharmacies’ role as primary health
care hubs, citing Minister for Health
Peter Dutton’s affirmation at APP
this year that retail giants would
not be allowed into the sector.
Deregulation would destroy a
system supported by consumers,
the Guild said.
Pharmaceutical Society of
Australia national president Grant
Kardachi said this deregulation
showed a lack of understanding of
the system and pharmacists’ role.
“Deregulating community
pharmacy would only serve to
narrow service provision by
pharmacists and ensure that
price rather than patient health
outcomes are the short-term
drivers of health service delivery.”
Medicines Australia called the
report “flawed” with ceo Dr
Brendan Shaw saying there was no
need for further savings measures.
Many of the Commission’s
recommendations show an
ignorance of the reality of the
medicines industry in Australia,
he said, and would see loss of
investment and jobs.
“Access to life-saving medicines
means Australian patients can
afford and receive new medicines
coming into the country, but
these new medicines may not
even make it to Australia if
some of the recommendations
in the Commission’s report are
implemented.
“Some of the recommendations
on the PBS suggest the Commission
of Audit has been drinking the
Kool-Aid.”
The Australian Medical
Association has said the report
recommended the health system
be run by bean counters, with
president Dr Steve Hambleton
saying the recommendations
would put health, medical and
pharmaceutical care out of reach
for families.
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