PHARMACISTS will be among a select group of health professionals to receive fresh Commonwealth Government face masks to provide to staff, patients with potential coronavirus and their families.
Speaking in the House of Representatives yesterday, Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, provided an update of the Government's response to the coronavirus outbreak, and announced the provision of an additional 300,000 masks, to be distributed free of charge, by health professionals.
"We as a country have moved to ensure that we have the strongest containment practices in place," he said.
"Part of that has been what we have done with our border arrangements, and I thank everybody involved for their work on that front---in particular, our medical professionals, who have acted early.
"As part of that, we have made available today an additional 300,000 surgical masks to GPs, to medical professionals and to chemists, not for sale, but for their use and for the use of any of their customers whom they believe might be at risk."
The Government's decision to distribute the free masks through pharmacies followed allegations that pharmacists have been bumping up their prices as demand for the masks soars.
Responding to allegations of price gouging, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, noted on Twitter that he had seen examples of "particular suppliers increasing the costs of masks by over 1500% to pharmacies between the first week of Jan and the first week of Feb".
Tassone said that concerns over "unconscionable conduct" by some suppliers had been referred to the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission.
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