One of the biggest pharma companies in the country is moving into the dispensing space, launching a home delivery service that it says will lead to lower prices for patients by pushing down pharmacist mark-ups.

Eli Lilly has launched a telepharmacy site for its GLP-1 receptor agonist Mounjaro (tirzepatide), saying it was about making medicines not funded through the PBS “more accessible and affordable for more Australians”.

Patients prescribed the drug by their doctor present an e-script through the website and are then connected to a pharmacy which dispenses and delivers the medication.

Under the model, pharmacists will be independent third-party providers who, through an ecommerce market system called Evermed, bid to offer the lowest price.