CHEMIST Warehouse (CW) has slammed the freezing of maximum medicine co-payments, via the staged application of the discretionary $1 discount.
The measure was introduced in tue's Federal Budget, as part of the eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA) (PD 15 May).
A CW spokesperson told Pharmacy Daily, "the gradual removal of the current allowable $1 discount is a backward and anti-competitive step".
"It will mean patients who currently shop at pharmacies that pass on the maximum permissible discount will face a Government-imposed price rise.
"The ability of pharmacies to voluntarily charge their patients cheaper prices for their essential PBS-subsidised medicines will be removed," he said.
However, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's National President Trent Twomey (pictured) said the $1 discount is being phased in and will bring "universality" to PBS medicines for pharmacies.
"The freezing of maximum medicine co-payments via the staged application of the discretionary $1 discount will help Australians struggling with the cost of healthcare and will restore universality to the PBS."
"On behalf of our members, the Pharmacy Guild has a strong track record of fighting to bring down the cost of medicines.
"I'm pleased the Guild secured anti-inflationary relief for patients by phasing in the universal application of the $1 discount as part of our 8CPA negotiations."
Twomey added that the freezing indexation of co-payment means patients won't have to foot more of the overall cost for their medicines come 01 Jan each year. JG
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