“The men and women of the pharmacy workforce: pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, are the reason why community pharmacy is Australia’s most accessible frontline health destination,” Pharmacy Guild of Australia, National President Professor Twomey said.
“In over 300 towns in regional and remote Australia, community pharmacist are the only primary heath destination.
“Community pharmacies are open early and open late, in rain, hail and shine.
“We saw this first-hand last week, when despite the risk to their own homes and businesses from Cyclone Alfred, community pharmacies in southeast Queensland and northern NSW stayed open to make sure patients had the medicines they needed.”
Professor Twomey said community pharmacy was doing more for patients than ever before: going back to university to earn their prescribing qualifications to deliver holistic health services for a range of everyday health conditions, such as for urinary tract infections, earache and skin conditions.
“We know Australians want more convenient more accessible access to health care. By treating everyday health conditions in community pharmacy, we’re taking the load of the wider health system and freeing up GPs for more complex health conditions.”
And, in the shadow of a federal election, community pharmacy is advocating to cut the price of medicines for all Australian patients, to assist to ease the cost-of-living burden.
Up to 1 in 5 Australians have skipped or delayed filling a script in the past three years due to cost. The statistics are more dire in regional Australia, for patients managing chronic disease, for women, young people, first nations people and carers.
“A reduction of the maximum out-of-pocket PBS prescription costs from $31.60 to $19 would save 12 million patients a collective $440 million in the first year of operation,” Professor Twomey said.
“Not just on this day, but every day, the Guild says thank you: thank you to the pharmacists and pharmacy assistant who make up the teams in Australia’s more than 6000 community pharmacies from Broome to Burnie and everywhere in between.”