SEVERAL community pharmacies are facing Commonwealth audits over potential breaches relating to the free rapid antigen test (RAT) scheme for concession cardholders, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia warns.
Speaking during a Guild update last night, the organisation's National President, Trent Twomey, urged pharmacy owners to abide by the program's business rules and avoid supplying RATs directly to residential aged care facilities (RACFs).
"A few pharmacies have been flagged for audit, because they are seen to be providing on bulk, RATs to RACFs on behalf of the patient," he said.
"That is technically in breach of the rules, and we have had pharmacies [who have done that] - we know who they are and the Department [of Health] knows who they are, so I'm here to just remind you to please stop doing it.
"All Australians with healthcare concession, pension and Veteran Affairs cards are entitled to these, but only a family member or direct carer can get them on their behalf.
"[For] a facility, even if you have a contract with an RACF for the provision of their medications, you cannot provide to the facility on bulk their RATs."
Twomey said responsibility for the provision of RATs to RACFs has been given to State and Territory authorities.
"There's a whole heap of RATs being made available for RACFs out of the national stockpile," he said.
"If an individual in a RACF wants them, somebody needs to come in and get them for them, or you need to deliver them directly."
Meanwhile, Twomey noted that 93% of Australia's community pharmacy network has participated in the program to date, distributing more than 15 million RATs to three million eligible consumers, with $100 million paid to community pharmacies through the program.
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