Pharmacy Daily | OIA letter confirms lack of consultation

THE Rural Pharmacy Network Australia (RPNA) is "shocked and alarmed" at new information from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Office of Impact Analysis (OIA) that the recently announced 60-day dispensing proposal was assessed as 'containing a number of shortcomings...' and 'was lacking in some elements, such as not conducting a reasonable level of consultation'.

The May Budget policy, which is set to drastically change the way the PBS works, was assessed by the OIA as 'adequate', which means it could be used to inform a government decision, despite the fact that the policy is not based on consultation with the community pharmacy sector, including rural and remote pharmacies.

A letter penned by the Executive Director of the Office of Impact Analysis to the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health stated, 'the impact analysis would have benefitted from more recent public consultations on potential stakeholder impacts, particularly for small businesses and pharmacies in rural and remote areas'.

The RPNA asserted that the assessment of 'adequate' is only one grade above 'insufficient' and the minimum level necessary for the government to make a decision.

"So the greatest change to pharmacy funding in Australia's history does not meet the criteria to be evaluated as 'best practice' and wasn't even assessed prior to the budgetary measure being officially announced in the media," stated the RPNA.

The organisation expressed its astonishment at "the lack of consultation with rural pharmacies and that the policy could be assessed as 'adequate' without such engagement".

While the government is selling this policy as a win for patients in terms of affordability and convenience, the policy will mean significant reductions in core funding that pharmacies receive, the RPNA confirmed.

"Had appropriate consultation occurred, it would have been evident that the policy will lead to a reduction in pharmacy services, reduced opening hours, job losses, and likely pharmacy closures, as is being voiced by rural pharmacists across Australia.

"Many towns are losing their medical services and now their pharmacies are under threat too.

"A lot is at stake here as rural patients outside of major centres are at risk of losing more than they stand to gain."

The government has budgeted a doubling of the Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance to support rural pharmacy viability, but members of the RPNA are reporting that this will "barely suffice to keep dispensaries open let alone support delivery of services such as vaccinations".