Pharmacy Daily | More work to do on 7CPA: Tambassis

NEGOTIATIONS for the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA) are ongoing, with a number of issues yet to be resolved, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, George Tambassis says.

In a member update issued last week, Tambassis stressed the Guild and Government negotiators had continued to hold talks throughout the COVID-19 crisis, to secure a new deal, with the 6CPA set to expire on 30 Jun.

"The COVID backdrop, with its overwhelming challenges for the Government, along with extensive travel restrictions which have prevented face-to-face meetings for many weeks now, has certainly added to the degree of difficulty of the negotiations," he said.

"However, I can report that we are working just as hard towards an Agreement.

"Both the Guild and the Government have the will to achieve a new Agreement to give stability and certainty to our vital sector, but issues remain, and there is more work to be done.

"If anything, the COVID-19 scenario, as confronting as it has been, has shown the importance of the community pharmacy network -- its resilience under extreme conditions -- and its essential role in providing primary care to all Australians.

"In these negotiations, we are taking every opportunity to remind the Government of the fundamental importance of community pharmacies, something which is there for all to see every day in the current environment.

"It is imperative for all in the community that we achieve a fair Agreement."

Speaking at the Australian Pharmacy Professional (APP) Conference Online in Mar, the Guild's lead negotiator, Trent Twomey, had urged the Department of Health to put the deal that had been negotiated to that point to the Minister for Health to sign off on (PD 23 Mar).

"There is a fair agreement that had a modest investment to address the two core issues that Australians want to see from their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, as part of the 7CPA, which are an increase in convenience and an increase in affordability," he said.