Mark Butler condemns pharmacy guild’s ‘cynical’ aged care crisis prediction
The minister has offered to fast-track the next community pharmacy agreement.
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler has denounced a “cynical scare campaign” from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia that says aged care residents will face $800 annual fees as a knock-on effect of 60-day scripts.
Under changes scheduled for 1 September, GPs will be able to write 60-day scripts for almost 100 PBS items, halving the co-payment cost for patients.
The change will eventually apply to more than 300 medicines, including treatments for heart disease, high cholesterol, Crohn’s disease and hypertension.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia continues to fight the policy and, on Monday, issued predictions of an “aged care medicine crisis”.
