A popular pharmacy has come under fire after an anti-government sign appeared outside one of its branches.
The sign, authorized by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, was found Monday outside the Priceline inside Aspley Hypermarket in Brisbane’s north.
The board focused on plans to reduce the cost of prescription medicines for millions of Australia.
“You and your loved ones are at risk of prescription drug shortage,” it says.
Health Secretary Mark Butler announced in April that patients will be able to buy double their stock of certain prescription drugs in one go.
An image of the sign (pictured) was posted on social media, leading users to claim a boycott of the pharmacy, though other independent pharmacies followed suit with similar signs
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes this will lead to a shortage of prescription drugs across the country and has launched a petition seeking support to reverse the decision.
The QR code on the board leads directly to the essential drug shortage website – which is operated by the guild – and a petition page that has been signed more than 38,000 times.
Mr Butler announced that the changes will come into effect on September 1, saying the government is ‘cheating hundreds of common medicines’.
“General patients can save up to $180 a year if their drug can be prescribed for 60 days,” he said.
Concession card holders save up to $43.80 per year per drug.
“At least 6 million Australians will cut their drug costs in half and require fewer visits to their GP and pharmacist to get the medicine they use most, saving patients more than $1.6 billion over the next four years.”
The essential drug shortages website states: ‘400 medicines are on the critical shortage list, and 20% of those will be sold out now that dispensing limits have been increased by the government’.
“With a shortage of 400 drugs, the federal government will exacerbate drug shortages by introducing a 60-day issuance,” the website continues.
“We call on all Australians to demand that the Federal Government does not tamper with the supply of medicines and to ensure that prescription medicines are available to those who rely on them.
“Unless the federal government reverses its decision, giving patients extra medicines, via 60-day supplies, will exacerbate medicine shortages and more Australians will miss out.”
A spokesman for Mr Butler refuted claims that the decision will create shortages.
“The fact is that the pharmacy lobby group is deliberately misleading consumers with an unfair scare campaign,” a spokesman for Mr Butler told The Guardian.
Rural pharmacist, Priceline (pictured), has come under fire after a window sign criticizing the Albanian government was displayed outside a branch in Brisbane
Most shortages are short-lived. The phased roll-out of the cheaper medicines policy in three tranches, together with the fact that patients run out of their existing prescriptions first, will reduce the chance of a sudden increase in demand.’
An image of the sign was posted on social media, drawing the attention of hundreds of social media users to voice their opinions.
Several vowed to boycott the pharmacy.
“Why would I ever shop there with signs like that outside…there are plenty of other places I can go to just get on with my work. Not looking good,” one user wrote.
“Thanks for the heads up, I will avoid them in the future,” a second user wrote.
“I too will avoid Priceline,” a third wrote.
“Priceline, we are now blacklisting your brand, you take a stand, we take a stand,” a fourth wrote.
One user wrote that it’s not just Priceline that put up the signs saying, “I’ve seen these signs in multiple pharmacies because it’s the pharmacy guild.”
“But if you want to choose your companies based on politics rather than service, go ahead,” they continued.
Other pharmacies, including independent properties, have also been photographed displaying the same material in their storefronts.
An independent pharmacy in Yea, in central Victoria, was photographed with 20 separate signs in just one shop window.