MOVES to ease the financial pressure of accessing medicines for those affected by the ongoing bushfire crisis, are being welcomed by the Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF).
Responding to last week's emergency dispensing orders by the NSW, Victorian and ACT Governments, and the Federal Government's decision to provide Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidies for medications dispensed without a script, CHF CEO, Leanne Well, said ensuring access to vital medicines was important, but added there was a need to maintain patient safety.
"The CHF supports exceptional assistance during bushfire and other community-wide emergencies to ensure patients can receive the medication they need," she told Pharmacy Daily.
"Provided there are reasonable safeguards to protect patient safety and the integrity of the prescription system, CHF would support an automatic mechanism that ensures continued supplies for prescribed medicines during such emergencies."
Under the emergency dispensing orders announced last week, pharmacists will be able to provide Schedule 4 medicines to patients who have lost, or are unable to immediately access a prescription, where they are satisfied there is an urgent need, with the measures expiring on 31 Mar in NSW and the ACT, and 01 Apr in Victoria.
Pharmacists will also be able to dispense subsidies PBS medicines to patients without a prescription until 31 Mar, under the Federal Government's emergency measures.
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