WITH the latest Cleanbill Report outlining the cost and difficulty of seeing a GP released yesterday (PD 13 Jan), the Pharmacy Guild of Australia is urging patients to 'think pharmacy first'.
The Guild pointed out that community pharmacies offer accessible care, often with longer weekday and weekend openings, for a range of everyday health conditions and long-term healthmanagement.
No one should have to go without the health treatment they need, said Trent Twomey, National President of the Guild.
"Highly trained community pharmacists provide an important service to patients with non-complex everyday health conditions," Twomey said.
"State and federal governments can also make a difference by increasing the range of conditions that can be treated in a pharmacy - and making this consistent across the country.
"No one should have to avoid medical appointments or prescriptions," Twomey said, adding that the Guild's research shows that over the past three years, 21% of Australians - 3.75 million people - have been unable to afford prescription medication because of cost.
"Every day, community pharmacists work closely with GPs, nurses and other allied health practitioners to provide the best possible outcome for patients," Twomey said.
"The Guild will continue to call on the government to make medicine more affordable and reduce the pressure on our doctors and hospitals by offering a cost effective, available, professional alternative," he added.
The Guild noted that community pharmacists can provide a range of vaccines, treat non-complex UTIs (urinary tract infections), resupply oral contraceptives, and in some states and territories, treat other conditions.
The Guild encourages the public to use the FindaPharmacy website to locate the services they need.
The Cleanbill's 2025 Blue Report revealed that the percentage of practices bulk-billing new adult patients without concession cards has dropped to 21%, while average out-of-pocket costs increased by 4.1% to $43.38.
On the positive front, the decline in bulk-billing slowed after the government tripled bulk-billing incentives, showing the value of this investment.
Overall, however, the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) said the findings demonstrate a need for the Federal Government to invest in Medicare and increase patient rebates. KB
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 14 Jan 25
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