Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In March this year I became aware that the Dawesville Chemmart Pharmacy, in my electorate of Canning, was unable to dispense medications listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, making it economically vulnerable as a small business. More importantly, it was unable to perform its primary function as a chemist of providing a basic service to the local community, a community where many people rely upon their local chemist for their health.

This was just ridiculous. 'Why?' you may ask. The reason for this is that the pharmacy did not meet the requirements that would allow it to be issued with a PBS approval number. These requirements state: 'At all relevant times there is, within 500 metres, in a straight line from the proposed premises, a supermarket with a gross leasable area of at least 1,000 square metres.' The closest supermarket to the pharmacy at the Dawesville Shopping Centre met this requirement, under the definition of 'gross leasable area', but fell 25 square metres short under the definition of 'gross leasable area retail'. In other words, the pharmacy could not dispense PBS medication because the nearest shopping centre fell short of the size requirement by 25 square metres. I call this quibbling. This decision left the community of 7,215 people without suitable access to PBS medications. It is no surprise, then, that when the Dawesville Chemmart started a petition to have this decision overruled, it ended up with 2,300 signatures—over 30 per cent of the local population. My office also received a number of letters, emails and phone calls about this matter. Many elderly residents cannot easily travel the 18-kilometre round trip to the nearest PBS-approved pharmacy.

I want to congratulate the local community for their leadership in fighting this regulation. It shows they have strong, grassroots local leadership. But more importantly, they do not wait for government to fix things, nor do they tolerate bad regulation. To me and to the many people affected by this decision, this was an example of red tape getting the way of common sense. The coalition's priority is to encourage job growth; to encourage small business and to protect Australians from senseless regulation that negatively impacts their lives. That is why I was very pleased to announce that thanks to the Hon. Susan Ley, Minister for Health, the Dawesville Chemmart pharmacy last week received confirmation that it will soon be able to dispense PBS medications. This means that local people will be able to access PBS medicines, and it will also protect that small business—and its employees—from closure. Common sense has prevailed, the Commonwealth government has acted, and the people of Dawesville are the better for it.

Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that it is the wish of honourable members that constituency statements continue for a further period of 60 minutes. There being no objection, the chair will allow that course to be followed.