DISCOUNT Pharmacy group, Chemist Warehouse (CWH), claims the Pharmacy Location Rules are stymieing competition and it would welcome the entry of supermarket giants Coles and Woolworth's into the market.
The discounter's Chief Operating Officer, Mario Tascone, told The Age, the current Pharmacy Location Rules were outdated and put "handcuffs" on the group's ability to compete.
"It's the only protected industry in Australia and in the year 2019, these rules make no sense," he said.
"We'd like the Government to allow pharmacies to discount the [Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)] co-payment to whatever level they want."
Tascone voiced his support for deregulating the community pharmacy sector, allowing supermarkets and overseas groups to establish pharmacies in Australia.
"It will be highly competitive [if this happened], like any other industry, and the customer wins," he said.
A Pharmacy Guild of Australia spokesperson dismissed Tascone's push to dismantle the rules.
"Chemist Warehouse claims to be wearing handcuffs, and yet they appear to have flourished under the current regulations," the spokesperson said.
Guild National President, George Tambassis, added the rules allowed for new pharmacies to be established "where there is a community need".
"Modern community pharmacies in Australia are part of the health system -- the things they do for patients across medication management and health advice and screening do not belong in Aisle 8 of a supermarket, or next to the alcohol or cigarettes that they sell," he said.
"Where prices are not fixed under the PBS, there is strong competition and consumers are able to take advantage of this -- and they do.
"Pharmacy regulation has also not prevented the proliferation of discount model pharmacies -- Chemist Warehouse is proof of that."
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