Pharmacy guild claims GPs may withhold longer scripts

Pharmacists say a plan to help patients save money by allowing patients to receive 60-day scripts could backfire with concerns GPs will hold back on writing out repeats.

Pharmacists say a plan to help patients save money by allowing patients to receive two months supply of medication for chronic conditions in one visit could backfire with concerns GPs will hold back on writing out repeat scripts.

From September, patients living with an ongoing health condition who are stable on their current treatment will be able to receive twice the medication for the cost of a single prescription.

This will apply to more than 300 common medicines listed on the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS) and will be implemented in three stages over 12 months.

The government says the introduction of 60-day prescriptions will mean millions of Australians with ongoing health conditions will save money and time by obtaining bulk supplies.

However, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia – which has been lobbying against the change – claims it will cost pharmacy jobs and closures, with a recent report it commissioned warning up to 20,000 pharmacy jobs could be lost under the new dispensing policy.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says 60-day scripts might lead to fewer trips to the pharmacy but patients may have to keep visiting their GP who may not necessarily write out longer scripts. Picture: iStock

The guild has also pointed to a recent Department of Health webinar which suggested while the policy might lead to fewer trips to the pharmacy to collect medications, patients may still have to keep visiting their local GP who may not necessarily write out longer scripts.

In the webinar, a GP asks if they can write a script for 60 days “but give zero repeats” so that they can still see the patient regularly while at the same time enabling them to “save money at the pharmacy”.

RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins. Picture: Supplied

Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

In reply, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) president Dr Nicole Higgins states: “Yes. We still have discretion in how we prescribe and use this as a tool for compliance and follow up.”

With the 60-day policy excluding any requirement on the number of repeats, the guild wants the government to mandate a minimum repeat requirement whereby GPs would be required to write six repeats – or 12 months worth of medicine.

Under this proposal, a patient would only need to visit a pharmacy every two months for their regular medication, and not go back to see their GP unless they needed to during the 12 months.

Pharmacy Guild president Professor Trent Twomey urged the government to pause the implementation of the plan to discuss the proposal.

“Patients were promised this change would save them time and money and free up GPs to focus on treating sick people,” he said.

“The Prime Minister promised patients would get a script for 12 months of their regular medicine.

“Community pharmacies want cheaper medicine but the government needs to pause the implementation, consult with us, and get it right.”

Dr Higgins said GPs would always put the health needs of a patient first.

“If there is a medical reason a person needs to be followed up earlier, than we have discretion about how many repeats to issue – 60-day dispensing does not change this.

“For example, a GP may have a patient who is changing medication to manage hypertension. In that case, we may only issue one or two repeats and review the patient at the expiry as part of our recall process for review.

Dr Higgins said GPs would always put the health needs of a patient first.

“If there is a medical reason a person needs to be followed up earlier, than we have discretion about how many repeats to issue. 60-day dispensing does not change this,” she said.

“For example, a GP may have a patient who is changing medication to manage hypertension. “In that case, we may only issue one or two repeats and review the patient at the expiry as part of our recall process for review.”

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Originally published as Pharmacy guild claims GPs may withhold longer scripts