Changing the regulations which govern Australian pharmacies could help lower the prices paid by people in country areas for prescription medication, according to a lobby group pushing for reform.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The new push for a better deal for rural customers comes after the release of the Great Pharmacy Debate Survey, which was commissioned by the Chemist Warehouse chain, found that two-thirds of respondents had driven to another town to save money on prescriptions, and of these, more than 85 per cent had driven at least 50 kilometres.
The survey, of 325 residents of rural Victoria, found that about 60 per cent of respondents had put off buying medication due to the cost.
Jennifer Doggett, the chairperson of the Australian Health Care Reform Alliance, told The Daily Advertiser that an agreement between the government and the Pharmacy Guild protected pharmacies from competition "and that affects people in rural areas".
"For example, they have restrictions on pharmacy ownership. Only a registered pharmacist is allowed to own a pharmacy, so even other businesses aren't allowed to," Ms Doggett said.
"That impacts on rural areas because it means that if you can't attract a pharmacist to a rural area, you can't get another local business which might be quite happy to run that pharmacy in that area, like a local medical service for example, or even supermarket or retail outlet, because they are not able to get a licence to run a pharmacy."
Ms Doggett said there had been several reviews, including by the Productivity Commission, which had recommended changes to the pharmacies agreement, but there had been no significant overhaul.
She said fewer pharmacies in rural areas meant a likely increase in the price of medication.
"In some towns there is only one ... which means the pharmacist who is there can charge a premium. People have no choice about where to go." Ms Doggett said.
Temora GP Rachel Christmas believes pharmacies are vital in rural communities.
Dr Christmas is one of the instigators of the Great Quack Quest project to bring new GPs to Temora, a town which has three pharmacies.
She believes competition in the sector is also necessary.
"It is important to have more than one. There needs to be competition to help on price point," Dr Christmas said.
The Pharmacy Guild has defended the current agreement.
It said that for almost 30 years, the so-called location rules "have ensured a well-distributed network of community pharmacies supplying PBS medicines and patient services".
