SIXTY day dispensing (or double dispensing) will be implemented across pharmacies on September 1, 2023.
This has been touted as a fair and equitable policy change.
I want to be abundantly clear when I say that ALL pharmacists I know support cheaper medicines for ALL patients and, in principle, double dispensing (where appropriate). We do not, however, support the 60DD in its current format for a number of reasons.
First, it is discriminatory by nature in that only certain patients will be eligible for the proposed savings.
For example, a patient on blood pressure medication may be allowed to have a double supply (and only one co-payment/patient charge) but a patient on an anti-depressant may not be allowed to have the same.
Second, the alleged “reduced visits to the pharmacy” is somewhat misleading. A patient on several medications may be allowed double supply of all their medication except for one; therefore that patient will still be required to visit the pharmacy each month as is currently standard (albeit for only one medication). This results in no fewer pharmacy visits per year.
Third, several patients will not receive any cost savings at all. The policy claims six million people will save money on prescriptions. That leaves a lot of people to save nothing.
Patients reaching the PBS safety net (in many instances) will save a grand total of $0.
There are obviously many more aspects to the policy, but this would take far more words than this piece is afforded.
This policy is flawed in many ways.
With proper consultation, it could be made to be something that benefits ALL patients.
A far superior option, in my opinion, would be to lower the patient co-payment.
Currently, concessional patients pay $7.30 per script, and non-concessional patients pay up to $30.
If these amounts were reduced, every patient would save money, every time they needed medication.
To me, that is fair and equitable!
Troy Davis
Lake Boga Pharmacy owner
