Pharmacy Daily | SA to retain COVID pharmacist laws

PLANS to rollback the South Australian Government's COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020, will exclude legislation imposing stricter punishments for people who threaten or abuse pharmacy workers.

During the COVID crisis the SA Government amended the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 "to expand the offences against prescribed emergency workers to include people working in pharmacies and providing pharmacy services".

While other provisions of the emergency legislation will expire, SA Treasurer, Robert Lucas, said retaining the amendments relating to offences against pharmacy workers was "necessary for the ongoing management of the risk of COVID-19 in SA".

"When the COVID Act was first introduced a number of initiatives were needed to support South Australians who were doing it tough and better protect the community," he said.

"Things have changed significantly and there is now no need for many of these measures.

"However we have not yet returned to a pre-pandemic way of life, and it is necessary to have certain measures in place to assist in the management of the pandemic by the State Co-ordinator and to protect our emergency workers, especially for those who will be administering the vaccine."

A spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) told Pharmacy Daily that the retention of the legislation was positive for the profession.

"PSA welcomes the proposed amendments to the SA Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 to provide continued protection to pharmacists and pharmacy workers, whether in a pharmacy premises or wherever they are providing pharmacy services," the spokesperson said.

"Last year, PSA wrote to every state premier and territory chief minister, seeking their support to protect pharmacists and their staff against assault, violence and aggression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"PSA will continue to advocate for patient and pharmacist safety."