Dear Mr Murphy

Thank you for your letter of 4 July 2011 regarding a petition recently submitted for the consideration of the Standing Committee on Petitions requesting that the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (the Authority) location rules are maintained in the Glen Gala, Sunshine West, Derrimut and the Avenue Estate communities, Victoria.

The Pharmacy Location Rules (the Rules) are a fundamental component of the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement (the Fifth Agreement) between the Australian Government and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. This Agreement commenced on 1 July 2010 and terminates on 30 June 2015.

Applications by pharmacists for approval to supply Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines are considered by the Authority against the requirements of the Rules. The Authority cannot recommend that an application be approved if the requirements of the Rules are not met.

In situations where an application is rejected and the applicant believes there are exceptional circumstances that may result in a community being left without reasonable access to PBS medicines, an applicant may request that I exercise my discretionary power under the National Health Act 1953 to approve the pharmacist to supply PBS medicines.

A review of the Rules was undertaken in 2010 as required under the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement, and the findings of that review are currently being considered by Government.

I trust that the above information is of assistance.

from the Minister for Health and Ageing, Ms Roxon