Pharmacies to charge for blood pressure checks and medication deliveries amid profits squeeze

Chemists will begin charging customers for blood pressure checks, medication home deliveries, wound dressing and baby weighing as community pharmacies face reduced revenues.

Patients will be charged in pharmacies for services that were previously free

Chemists will begin charging customers for blood pressure checks, medication home deliveries, wound dressing and baby weighing – all services previously provided for free – as community pharmacies face reduced revenues amid plunging confidence in the sector’s financial outlook.

The CommBank Pharmacy Insights 2023 report reveals four out of five community pharmacies intended to begin charging for previously free services to offset the impact of the federal government’s 60-day dispensing policy, with 90 per cent expecting profits to decrease by one-third.

While confidence in the sector prior to this May was at its highest point in 10 years with strong business value outlook, sentiment declined sharply after the announcement of the 60-day dispensing policy, plunging almost 100 points on the UTS Community Pharmacy Barometer Index to the lowest ebb in a decade.

After May, some 72 per cent of community pharmacies expected the value of their business to decrease compared to 10 per cent six months earlier.

The report, produced in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney and health analytics company IQVIA, is the most comprehensive research available on community pharmacies on an annual basis in Australia and tracks the confidence, perceptions and attitudes of pharmacy owners and employees. It is due to be publicly released on Thursday.

“Many are considering whether keeping their workforce and opening hours intact is financially viable, while others are still grappling with shortages,” said CommBank Health chief Albert Naffah.

Pharmacists in NSW will march in the Sydney CBD on Thursday in protest at the 60-day dispensing policy, an action organised by grassroots pharmacy owners independent of the Pharmacy Guild, which has been waging an organised campaign.

The policy, which will allow 60 days’ worth of 320 common medications to be prescribed for the price of one PBS co-payment, cleared the Senate last week amid a Coalition attempt to block it, and the legislation will formally come into effect next month.

Southwest Sydney pharmacy owner Quinn On said the plans by most chemists to open up extra revenue streams would soon come into effect.

“Many pharmacies do free deliveries of medication for their regulars and elderly patients, and that won’t happen anymore after 60-day dispensing,” he said. “We are having lots of meetings about how we can mitigate the impact of 60-days dispensing, we’re doing everything we can.”

Mr On named free wound dressing and blood pressure checks as services that would no longer be provided for free. Blood pressure checks would attract a $10-$15 charge. He currently employs a midwife 4½ hours a week who does baby weighing and advises new mums. “I get a line-up of people every Friday morning … I am now looking at can I continue to provide that service.”

Pharmacies were also planning to join more pharma programs, in which patients are enrolled on to pharmaceutical company programs that monitor blood pressure, cholesterol and medication compliance.

Pharmacies get a small fee for enrolling each patient.

The CommBank Pharmacy Insights confirmed moves across the sector to expand service delivery and push for a greater role in patient care.

“The breadth and size of the expected (profits) decrease is leading to a range of strategic responses,” the report said. “The top growth opportunity for pharmacists in November 2022 was expanding professional services.

“Assessing the labour costs of the business is common. This includes 62 per cent considering a decrease in assistants, 43.5 per cent saying the same about employed pharmacists and 48.1 per cent looking at reducing opening hours.”

Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey said the report confirms many of the Guild’s fears that patients would be forced to pay for pharmacy services that were previously free.

“For months we have been sounding the alarm on behalf of patients and pharmacists and unfortunately this Commonwealth Bank report has again confirmed our worst fears,” Mr Twomey said.

“The Prime Minister and the Health Minister can no longer ignore the concerns of 6,000 community pharmacies and the many unintended consequences of 60-day dispensing.

Patients, aged care residents and pharmacists will suffer because the Government is refusing to genuinely engage and fix these problems.

All pharmacists want cheaper medicine for their patients and we are ready, willing and able to sit down with the Government and make sensible adjustments to the policy so patients, aged care residents and pharmacists aren’t negatively impacted.”