RURAL pharmacists operating in single pharmacy towns are pleading with the Federal Government to introduce a funding package to enable them to keep their doors open should a staff member be forced into isolation as a result of COVID-19.
The Rural Pharmacy Network Australia (RPNA) warned patients living in rural and remote areas could see their access to essential medicines cut if any member of a store's staff is diagnosed with the virus, warning the cost of hiring locum pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and assistants would not be adequately covered by Emergency Locum Service funding.
In a statement issued this morning, RPNA co-founder, Fredrik Hellqvist, called for a government guarantee of financial support top ensure continuity of medicines supply in single pharmacy towns.
"While GPs have been thrown a so-called '$700 million lifeline' to deliver telehealth services during this crisis, none of the Federal Government measures announced so far provide any assurance for rural pharmacies to ensure service continuity if any team member in a one-pharmacy town is diagnosed as COVID-19 positive and has to self-isolate," he said.
"It is likely that under the Communicable Diseases Network Australia guidelines that all other pharmacy staff will be classified as 'close contacts' and will also have to self-isolate.
"Pharmacy owners will have a choice of closing down until sufficient staff can return to work, or finding the extra funds to cover the cost of a locum pharmacist plus critical support staff such as pharmacy technicians and assistants.
"The extra costs of keeping the doors open for two weeks in these circumstances could easily run to $11,000, or even more.
"This is simply too great a cost for small pharmacies, which are already struggling against a remuneration system that treats them unfairly.
"They would be financially much better off to close, leaving their community with no pharmacy."
Hellqvist said a guarantee would provide assurances to vulnerable communities that they are adequately prepared to face the impacts of the pandemic.
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