IN ANTICIPATION of tonight's Federal Budget, Kian Ghahramani (pictured), RSM's National Director for Pharmacy, hopes for significant cost-of-living measures aimed at benefiting consumers and businesses alike.
Speaking to Pharmacy Daily, Ghahramani said, "we hope to see tangible savings for everyday Australians with the implementation of stage three tax cuts, but it would be great to take that a step further and introduce measures to benefit patients".
He highlighted the current strain on primary healthcare due to inflation, rising living costs, and the decline in bulk billing GPs.
The strain, he noted, is increasing the burden on hospital emergency departments as individuals avoid GP visits due to costs.
With negotiations for the 8th Community Pharmacy Agreement underway, Ghahramani stressed the need for certainty in the sector to aid pharmacy owners and prospective buyers currently postponing their decisions and welcomed the changes to come.
Ghahramani is advocating for "fresh funding" to develop programs that alleviate GP pressures and improve community health outcomes, such as enabling pharmacists to provide a wider range of services.
"The sooner pharmacists can safely expand their scope of services, the quicker we can reduce the load on emergency departments," Ghahramani added.
He emphasised the need for pharmacies to maintain financial viability through a sustainable business model, given common financial burdens such as mortgages, rent, and salaries within the industry.
Ghahramani called on the upcoming Budget to address the need for more pharmacists through enhanced training and funding programs, which he believes will both serve communities better and lessen the load on GP clinics.
He warned that failure to invest in primary healthcare now could lead to more significant issues in the future, potentially restricting access to healthcare to only those who can afford it, and would cost the economy more in the long-term, as seen in other countries. JG
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