Chemist changes in Australia: Dr Nick Coatsworth issues warning

One of Australia’s top doctors has exposed a major problem with the government’s new policy on prescription medicines.

Health Secretary Mark Butler announced on Wednesday that patients will be able to buy double their supply of some prescription drugs from January, saving them money in the long run.

The rule change will see 325 drugs dispensed in 60-day doses instead of the current 30-day.

Consumer groups applauded the move, which was criticized by controversial Australian Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey.

Former Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr. Nick Coatsworth told Daily Mail Australia the changes would undoubtedly lead to savings for Aussies, but warned there could be major ramifications.

“The main benefit of these changes would be that, in the longer term, patients on medications would reduce the number of visits to their pharmacy and subsequently also save on pharmacy costs.

“However, we are concerned about the implementation of this policy and the details are important.”

He explained that the change does not address three main concerns for Australians when it comes to health care.

“Does this improve access to primary care in any way? And the answer is no. It does not increase the number of consultations, in fact it decreases them.

‘People with chronic conditions are effectively seen less often with this policy, because you can get 12 months’ supply instead of six months’ supply of medicines.

The second point is affordability. The change can save you $160 per year. This helps, but it really won’t change much if grocery bills go up by $50 a week.

“The improved affordability is welcome, but very small. I hope the minister has more budget to make health care more affordable for people who use medicines for a long time.’

The policy change was criticized by Trent Twomey, who said it would force him to cut staff, cut hours and cut shifts because the change would cause him to lose $170,000 each year.

Dr. Coatsworth said dissatisfaction from pharmacies was inevitable, but also warned fears about smaller pharmacies were justified.

‘From a patient’s point of view, if the community pharmacy where you’ve been for 20 years suddenly has to close, that could be a bad thing.

“I just think we have to be very careful because we want pharmacies to be open between 8am and 8pm. We don’t want them to close or open between 10am and 5pm because they suddenly can’t afford it anymore.

‘We don’t want them to have fewer pharmacists available. I think from a patient perspective we need a strong network of community pharmacies. We just have to be very careful about the impact this could have.

‘The cost savings for the consumer is a fantastic result, but if that is only partly absorbed by the government and passed on to pharmacies to deal with, there is a chance that smaller pharmacies will come under pressure. ‘

Despite his caution, Dr Coatsworth also suggested that shorter prescription processing times could allow for more face-to-face time between Aussies and pharmacists.

David Clarke, acting director of the Australian Patients Association, also suggested caution.

He said: “We are focused on what is good for patients. In this case, this initiative has clear benefits for the patient if done well, but we would especially like to hear from the government how it plans to deal with supply chain challenges, viability impacts on smaller community pharmacies and eventual community pharmacies. education investments it plans to make to underpin safety issues related to additional drugs in households.”

The announcement of script changes caused a mix of emotions.

Speaking at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, Pharmacy Guild boss Mr Twomey told government MPs to ‘get off your ass’.

The government will cut $1.2 billion in pharmacy fees over four years, with Secretary Butler promising all that money will be directly reinvested in community pharmacies to help them offer more services.

“I don’t pretend this is going to be easy for community pharmacies,” Butler said Wednesday.

“I really appreciate the work they’re doing and that’s why we’ve phased this in this year and next year.”

But Mr Twomey said pharmacists will still suffer losses from patient reimbursements, which the Pharmacy Guild estimates at $2.3 billion over four years, compared to the government’s figure of $1.6 billion.

“They don’t pay that back,” he said. “The pharmacist carries the entire remainder of the cut.

“And that’s what will send these guys to the wall. And (Mr. Butler) just doesn’t seem to care.”

Mr. Twomey then apologized for his language and said, ‘I’m a North Queenslander. I don’t mean to swear, but they just don’t care.

“You know, this is supposed to be a government that cares. That’s not how people work.’

The 60-day scripted policy was recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and endorsed by physician groups and the Consumer Health Forum (CHF), who said it will save patients up to $180 a year on each drug.

“This is a really good move that shows the government is listening to consumer voices,” said CHF chief executive Elizabeth Deveny.

“Every dollar saved at the pharmacy is money that could be spent on groceries or rent.”

Mr Twomey also warned of drug shortages, saying Mr Butler was making ‘false claims’ when he said only seven drugs currently had supply problems.

The minister said he wanted to “warn about some scare campaigns from the pharmacy lobby group” as he rejected claims of widespread supply problems.

He said only seven of the list of 325 drugs were in short supply and they were closely monitored by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

“We have made a conscious decision to phase in these arrangements over the course of this year and next year to allow pharmacists to change their travel schedules,” said Mr Butler.

The opposition supports the Pharmacy Guild and says they want to see more information about the changes.

But Mr Butler said the Coalition should support this ‘important cost-of-living measure that is good for hip pockets and good for Australians’ health’.

“Perhaps no one will be surprised that, given the choice between supporting patients or making a profit,[Opposition leader Peter]Dutton has again decided to leave patients out in the cold,” he said.

In January 2022, Mr Twomey said it would be a good time to get Covid-19 and admitted he was no longer allowing his children to wear face masks.

He said that would be the most “easiest” time to catch the virus to fit into his family’s schedule.

“There is no right time to get Covid, but if my family has to get it, now would be a good time,” he said.

Chris Moy, then vice president of the Australian Medical Association, denounced Mr Twomey’s comments as setting a bad example.

“I don’t believe this is responsible, both from a public health point of view and from an example point of view,” said Dr Moy.

“Mitting in with us is not the same as fitting in with the whole community.”