Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I present a petition that has been considered by the Petitions Committee and found to be in order. The principal petitioner, my constituent Barbara Shearer of Cleve, has collected 144 signatures to support a petition urging the government to reconsider its decision to introduce 60-day dispensing, which disproportionately impacts regional pharmacies.

The petition read as follows—

Save our local pharmacies and local health issues. The Government's policy to allow 60-day dispensing will place millions of Australians at risk. This policy is rushed and the negative impacts far outweigh the benefits. With over 20,000 jobs in jeopardy, over 600 pharmacies at risk of closure, and the inevitability of reduced opening hours, the fallout of 60-day dispensing will be nothing short of devastating. This is not scaremongering, it is a heartbreaking reality.

The government claims 60-day dispensing will be more convenient, but what's convenient about a local community pharmacy forced to reduce its hours or worse, close down entirely? Another impact is if a medicine is dispensed for 60 days, and that medicine does not agree with the patient, the medicine is thrown out creating another issue.

Convenience quickly turns into a crisis when you're left without accessible healthcare in our community. Our most vulnerable—the elderly, aged care residents, children and those in regional areas—who rely heavily on their local community pharmacies stand to suffer the most. They're the people at the frontline of this policy's devastating impacts. When it comes to 60-day dispensing, some people will benefit, but there will be a cost.

NOTE: Please sign the petition and demand the government rethink and renegotiate its position. Stand up for the healthcare rights of all Australians. The government rushed through 60-day dispensing without consulting experts, and must reconsider its position before millions of Australians are impacted.

We therefore ask the House to reverse its 60-day prescription dispensing.

from 144 citizens (Petition No. PN0573)

Petition received.

To add to that, I would say that Barbara comes from a neighbouring community to mine. The Cleve, Cowell and Kimba communities have up until recently been run as one business; they are now run as two. They all service communities of less than 2,000 people in the entire council area. They are very concerned. Anything that erodes the financial viability of these community pharmacies is a great threat to the town. It is very difficult to keep doctor practices open and keep your hospital supplied if you don't have a local pharmacy. There are a number of issues at play here.

They have also been able in the past to operate a remote dispensing system, which meant the pharmacists could use the local staff to dispense over a video link system. There were eight pharmacies in South Australia operating on this system, all in my electorate, and that was disallowed by the government back in July. I have written and spoken to the health minister. I'm hoping he's going to come around and revisit that as well.