Pharmacy Daily | NSW extends emergency supply regs

EMERGENCY supply regulations in NSW are set to continue until 28 Oct, allowing pharmacists to provide prescription medications to patients without prescriptions.

The emergency measures, which were initially implemented in response to the 2020 Black summer bushfires, had been due to expire today, but were extended for four weeks by NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant, yesterday.

Under the temporary authority pharmacists must be satisfied that the provision of the medication is essential for the patient's well-being, that the substance has previously been prescribed for the individual, and there is an immediate need for the medicine for the continuation of treatment.

Pharmacists must also check that the medication has not been provided to the patient under the authority in the previous 12 months.

Pharmacists are required to document in the patient's pharmacy record that an attempt was made to contact their usual prescriber, and report the supply of the medication to the patient's last known prescriber.

The extension has been backed by Pharmacy Guild of Australia Acting NSW Branch President, Catherine Bronger.

"This is a welcome announcement in response to the Guild's advocacy given that the temporary authority has ensured continuity of care throughout the bushfires, floods and pandemic," she said.

"The Guild continues to advocate for the temporary authority to be made permanent and to be extended to a standard Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listed pack.

"This is because the current arrangement requires the pharmacist to break the standard pack resulting in wastage and extra cost to the patient.

"For the past two years, across Australia, medicines supplied under this type of protocol made up less than 0.1% of PBS medications supplied and pharmacists have supplied medicines under this arrangement in a safe and efficient manner."

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