Pharmacy Daily | The cost of PBS price disclosure

PHARMACISTS need to be empowered to make decisions around therapeutic substitution in the face of persistent medicines shortages, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) CEO, Dr Shane Jackson, believes.

Jackson told Pharmacy Daily the ongoing shortages of a number of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines were a "direct consequence" of "the aggressive price disclosure regime, which reduces the cost of medicines and means that Australia mightn't be as competitive on a world stage when it comes to the provision of medicines".

He said dealing with medicines shortages would need to be discussed as part of the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA) negotiations.

"Our members are the ones that are dealing with medicines shortages every day," he said.

"And if this medicines shortage issue is not addressed, pharmacists will need some flexibility in the future and one would suggest it's a bit like continued dispensing - I think, to be able to therapeutically substitute medicines... because it's a significant workload issue.

"Unless the Government's going to address that from a remuneration perspective we need to make sure that pharmacists are adequately supported to be able to do that and let's be frank, when you have a medicines shortage in your pharmacy you're going to ring up the doctor and say, 'this is the medicine that's available, that we can change to'.

"So giving pharmacists the authority to therapeutically substitute when there's a medicines shortage is a critical thing that needs to be considered in the near future, because I don't see the medicines shortage issue going away."

Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, warned the medicines supply issues being experienced across the country threatened the viability of PBS and the core pillar of the National Medicines Policy - equity of access for all.

"This is about patients and delivery of care," he said.

"Pharmacists across Australia are spending a significant amount of time finding a plan B to ensure patients don't go without -- but they can't work miracles."

"Unless we can have confidence in an ongoing continuity of supply for these essential medicines -- then we are at risk of not having a first world health system."