This petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House a recent announcement by the Federal Government, without consultation, to change the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and reduce what is paid to community pharmacy to dispense medicines. This PBS change will ultimately put at risk the viability of community pharmacies across Australia.
We therefore ask the House to take whatever action is needed to ensure that community pharmacy receives the funding support it needs to stay in business, serve patients, employ staff and remain open after hours.

I note the recent proposal from the government to further accelerate weighted average price disclosure on PBS medicines with “Generic” equivalents available. This proposal has been outline without any communication or consultation with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (of which I am a member) or the pharmacy industry in general. I am a registered pharmacist, pharmacy manager and an aspiring future pharmacy owner currently employed within the Calanna Pharmacy group of businesses that employ over 120 people mostly throughout North Queensland.

I wish to inform you of the drastic implications this will have on one of the country’s most important industries, an industry that has and is already undergoing significant change due to weighted average price disclosure, slump in the retail sector, slow-down in the listing of new medicines on the PBS, reduced prescription volume and increased expenses - in particular rents, electricity and wages.

The pharmaceutical industry is a huge employer of people, employing tens of thousands of people right across the whole country. It not only is one of the country’s largest employers in the retail industry it also employs people across the vast network of wholesale and retail suppliers and pharmaceutical companies, manufacturing, research and development.

Pharmacists are the 3rd most TRUSTED profession in the nation. Pharmacists and the pharmacy businesses within which we work are heavily relied upon in the community during and after core business hours to provide first line primary health care information and advice. The pharmacy network is a vital cog in the healthcare framework of our nation.

Already the government has implemented an ongoing and accelerated Weighted Average Price Disclosure mechanism reducing the price of PBS medicines to the government which is now producing savings of $4.1 Billion which is coming directly from the bottom line of the whole industry – manufacturing, wholesale and retail. One would have thought this would be more than enough for an industry to work through and adapt to within a short period of time, now the government expects more?

The Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement was negotiated in good faith with our peak body the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and signed off on by the government. In that document there is a clause that requires the Commonwealth to consult in good faith on any budget initiative which has a “significant and sustained impact on the viability of community pharmacy.” Where is the consultation?

Improved CONFIDENCE, increases in EMPLOYMENT, and STABILITY are all things both sides of politics are saying they want to create and are asking the Australian people to TRUST them to deliver. How can this be when both sides of politics clearly want to pave the way to damaging a fantastic industry overnight without any consultation with that industry?

The governments proposed plans WILL lead to the LOSS of JOBS throughout the industry if they go ahead. Furthermore it WILL create MORE UNCERTAINTY throughout a multitude of industries across the country and REDUCED CONFIDENCE in INVESTMENT which of course leads to INSTABILITY.

Underhanded and blatant changes like this is something that the Australian public are taking notice of and will take into consideration when we vote in the coming month.