The Pharmacy Guild of Australia vehemently opposed the introduction of 60-day scripts for common medicines, predicting mass job losses and pharmacy closures. However, nearly 18 months later, data reveals minimal impact, contradicting the guild's dire warnings.
, announced by Health Minister Mark Butler in the lead-up to May 2023 budget, was designed to save people time and money by allowing them to purchase two months’ worth of common medicines, rather than one, for the same $30 co-payment to their pharmacy.When the decision was announced, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, which represents about 5900 community pharmacy owners, was furious.
“As many as 20,000 jobs will be lost, 665 pharmacies will close and Australia’s most vulnerable patients will suffer under the Albanese government’s 60-day dispensing policy,” thundered the first line of the media release. New figures from the Department of Health and Ageing reveal that between September 1, 2023, when 60-day scripts began, and November 30, 2024, the department received a total of 165 applications to open new pharmacies. Of those applications, 87 were approved, leading to new pharmacies.Credit:Rather than 665 pharmacies shutting their doors, just 22 pharmacies across Australia have closed.
Butler said that “despite claims that pharmacies would close because of 60-day prescriptions, the opposite has happened”.“The Albanese government has had a laser-like focus on delivering cheaper medicines. Our hard-fought reforms are delivering cheaper medicines to millions of Australians – already saving them more than $1 billion in out-of-pocket costs. We know it’s not just good for patients’ hip pocket, it’s also good for their health.
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