Guild and GMiA slam CHF
September 24, 2013
THE Consumers Health Forum
is under fire from all angles over
claims that Australians are paying
“as much as $2000 every minute of
every day more than we need to on
prescription medicines”.
The CHF has continued its antipharmacy
campaign with new
data which reiterates allegations
of overcharging for medicines by
comparing Australian prices with
those in the UK and New Zealand.
The Pharmacy Guild has reacted
swiftly to the criticism, saying
that “simplistic and selective
comparisons with one or two other
countries should be treated with
a grain of salt,” with the contrasts
failing to take account of patent
expiry variations.
“What the CHF also never talks
about are the flow-on impact of
the ‘cheap and nasty’ regime that
it champions: patient choice of
their preferred medicine brand
is removed; restricted therapy
options for doctors; medicine
shortages; reduced patient access
particularly in regional areas;
and the disappearance of local
small businesses, jobs and patient
services,” the Guild said.
A statement from the Guild said
that it “utterly rejects the CHF’s
false claims that pharmacies
are making massive profits from
overpriced medicines...community
pharmacies and their staff who are
doing it tough should be applauded
for their commitment to their
patients, not subjected to this
ongoing torrent of misinformation
and abuse”.
MEANWHILE the Generic
Medicines Industry Association
has also joined the chorus of
condemnation, strongly refuting
the CHF claims of overpayments.
“Comparisons with countries such
as the UK and NZ do not recognise
the significant differences in the
way medicines are supplied in
Australia,” said the GMiA.
In both countries patients “do not
have a choice” with each generic in
NZ supplied by a single company,
while in the UK doctors must
prescribe using the generic name.
However in Australia 25% of
medicines with generic equivalents
dispensed on the PBS are still the
originator brand.
“GMiA is advocating for
government to adopt policies
that promote and encourage the
uptake of more affordable generic
medicines,” said the organisation’s
ceo, Kate Lynch.
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