Pharmacy Daily | Qld Bill angers GP body

THE Cost of Living and Economics Committee's report released on Fri has recommended for the Queensland Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023 to be passed, angering the peak GP body who wants its key provisions overturned.

The committee has agreed to the following key bill provisions, among others, which include establishing a regulatory council as a statutory body to administer the Act and transfer regulatory functions from Queensland Health to it.

Further, establishing a licensing framework for the ownership of and interests in pharmacy businesses; and prohibiting the regulatory council from issuing a licence if the pharmacy business is located in a supermarket.

However, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has today called for Queensland's pharmacy ownership and location rules to be scrapped.

The call comes following the College's recent submission to the Queensland Parliamentary Economic and Governance Committee inquiry on the Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill 2023, which seeks to repeal the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2001 and replace it with a modern framework for the regulation of pharmacy ownership (PD 27 Feb).

The RACGP stated it has consistently called for changes to rules governing the pharmacy sector, and urged govt to "overhaul outdated and anti-competitive pharmacy ownership and location laws, which limit competition and make it harder for people to access discounted pharmacy services, resulting in higher costs and limited choice for consumers".

RACGP Queensland Chair, Dr Cathryn Hester, called for overdue reform of the sector.

"Review after review after review has recommended the removal of pharmacy location and ownership rules, but the current Pharmacy Business Ownership Bill will keep them in place," she said.

"There is no longer any logical reason why the pharmacy sector should be protected and treated differently," said Hester.

"The pharmacy owner lobby group claims that consumers won't feel comfortable receiving healthcare advice in other settings, like supermarkets."

However, many pharmacies are operating in these settings overseas, she added.

Hester mentioned that "the pharmacy owner lobby claim also belies the fact almost 40% of pharmacy revenue comes from retail products, non-prescription medicine sales and non-evidence-based products unrelated to health, that no GP would recommend".

"GPs and practice teams value the work of pharmacists and pharmacy teams immensely, and we want to make sure all patients have the best access to pharmacy services." JG