AROUND 2,800 people travelled across the country to protest against the 60-Day Dispensing (60DD) policy at a rally in Canberra on 04 Sep, held by the Community and Pharmacy Support Group (CAPS).
Several high-ranking politicians attended the rally and spoke to the crowd including the Deputy Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley and the Shadow Minister for Health Anne Ruston, Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud and Senator Bridget McKenzie.
CAPS organiser and spokesperson Emil Demyane read out a letter the group had sent to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a list of demands including equitable and affordable access to PBS medicines for all patients, not just some.
The demands include lowering the co-payment from $7.30 to $3.65 for Concession card holders and $30 down to $15 for General Patients.
CAPS has also asked that the 60DD policy be paused immediately, while it is still in its infancy, or that the dispensary remuneration be doubled for 60DD prescriptions, while it is negotiated as part of the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA).
The letter also stated that the Minister of Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, should stand down immediately, adding "he has mishandled the 60DD policy, broken the 7CPA and his pre-election commitments to the pharmacy profession".
The demands continued with asking for 'Same Service, Same Pay'.
That means services included in the 8CPA should be funded the same as any other profession providing them, for example vaccinations should be funded just as they are in general practice, CAPS asserted.
Further, opioid treatment payments should be doubled.
All funds that are currently being allocated to Aged Care facilities for the packing of medications into Dose Administration Aids, should be funded to pharmacies in the 8CPA, as part of an Aged Care Dose Administration Aids program, the CAPS letter added.
Pharmacists should also have representation on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, to ensure advice that affects distribution of medication has the required expertise on the panel.
Lastly, CAPS stated pharmacists should be allowed clinical judgment to alter the quantity of 60-day prescriptions for patient safety.
Demyane reinforced that CAPS is not associated with any industry body, while CAPS spokesperson Christine Kelly said, "we want the gov't to actually listen to us".
"We want them to commit to the pre-election promise that no pharmacy or patient would be worse off under these new measures, as far as I am concerned, this is a gov't of broken promises."
On disrupting Question Time Kelly said, "we are very peaceful and professional, that's all it's about." JG
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