| Restoring emergency measures authorising pharmacists to dispense full Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) quantities of medications to patients during ongoing natural disasters is vital, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) believes.
With communities across NSW, Tasmania and Victoria currently facing severe flooding, PSA National President, Dr Fei Sim, said current “watered-down” emergency arrangements for supplying medications were “unacceptable”.
Sim noted that the Federal Government has restricted the number of medicines that pharmacists can dispense under Continued Dispensing from more than 900 to 168 as of 30 Jun, limiting their ability to support patients.
“The current continued dispensing arrangements are simply not fit-for-purpose,” she said.
“Governments need to make sure that all patients have access to their medicines in emergency situations, regardless of what medicines they take.
“It is vital the full PBS Continued Dispensing list is restored, as it guarantees access to full PBS quantities Australia-wide for people affected by an emergency.
“After two years where this problem has been solved, it feels like we’ve gone back to Groundhog Day again.
“We cannot wait for the next natural disaster to revisit this issue yet again.”
More details in tomorrow's issue of Pharmacy Daily.
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