Price disclosure impact
January 9, 2014
David Quilty, president of the
Pharmacy Guild of Australia, has
responded to Medicines Australia
(MA) ceo Brendan Shaw who has
stressed that unlike other elements
of the Australian healthcare system,
PBS spending is sustainable with
price disclosure impacting on jobs
in big pharma companies.
“However,” said Quilty in a letter
to the Australian Financial Review,
“it must not be forgotten that price
disclosure is also having a serious
impact on retail pharmacy small
businesses and local jobs.”
He reminded readers that around
5,300 Australian community
pharmacies will lose “the
equivalent of between one and
two full-time jobs this year due
to government savings from price
disclosure.
“The Pharmacy Guild estimates
up to 40 per cent of pharmacies
risk becoming unviable or only
marginally viable.
“Pharmacists continue to support
cheaper medicines for consumers,
but the real and serious flow -on
impact of price disclosure needs to
be fully recognised,” he added.
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