Pharmacists are urging the Albanese Government to pause the implementation of 60-day dispensing to ensure no aged care resident is negatively affected by this unintended policy consequence.
Medicines are currently packed and delivered to 188,000 aged care residents each week for free, in the form of Dose Administration Aids or Webster Packs, with the cost subsidised by dispensing fees.
New industry and government data shows the free service costs approximately $15 ($15.50) per week for each resident, equating to $806 annually.
Pharmacy Guild National President Professor Trent Twomey said aged care facilities would now have to charge patients for the services following a 50 per cent cut in pharmacy dispensing funding.
“The Albanese Government is unfairly forcing a huge new cost on aged care residents because they haven’t consulted and they don’t understand what they are doing,” Mr Twomey said.
“This will be a crisis for aged care with our most vulnerable Australians forced to pay for a policy change that doesn’t benefit them.
“This unintended consequence shows what happens when the Government does not consult with pharmacists.
“We are calling on Albanese Government to pause the roll out of 60-day dispensing, sit down and consult with community pharmacies and aged care providers to ensure no resident or pharmacy is worse off.”
Pharmacist Amanda Ward runs Priceline Pharmacy in Albury and is the largest provider of pharmacy services to aged care homes in the Albury Wodonga region and will need to start charging for services.
“We pack and deliver medicines free of charge to nine aged care facilities, and more than 800 residents. These people depend on us to get the care they need.”
“Because of 60-day dispensing we’re left with no choice and aged care residents will need to pay a new cost for these services and unfortunately we may have to stop deliveries on weekends.”
“The Federal Government’s so-called reinvestment does nothing for us – we’re not getting a single cent.”
According to the Federal Department of Health, who confirmed to Senate Estimates on June 2 they had not undertaken any consultation, the cost will be pushed onto the aged care sector and therefore left to each resident:
Senator David Pocock: Did you consult with aged-care facilities about who would pick up that Websterpak gap? I think that's a very valid point, but someone's going to have to pick up that cost. Was there consultation with aged-care facilities around this?
Ms Shakespeare: It's been a bit difficult for us to consult about this because it hasn't necessarily been clear to us that this is what dispensing fees have been being used for.
Senator David Pocock: So, the costs of the dose aids will be up to the pharmacy to sort out with aged care providers?
Ms Shakespeare: That's what happens at the moment.
Under the Federal Government’s Dose Administration Aid funding program rules, residential aged care is specifically excluded for financial support.
According to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, up to 91% of people in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities are prescribed more than five medicines, and up to 74% of care recipients take more than nine medicines.
The Pharmacy Guild surveyed more than 500 community pharmacists around the country and found more than one in three (36 per cent) will stop providing services to residential aged care altogether, as a direct result of the Federal Government’s policy.