Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I had a roundtable meeting with local pharmacists from across Lindsay to discuss the Albanese Labor Government's new 60-day dispensing rule. This new rule reduces the income pharmacies can earn, meaning they will be forced to reduce staff, impacting timely services for so many community members. Losing staff in Western Sydney pharmacies means losing jobs in Western Sydney. It's not only that; the funds pharmacies receive for filling scripts go towards providing vital community services. These include the ability to provide Webster packs for free or at a heavily reduced cost for the elderly.

Suneet, who operates two Terry White pharmacies in Penrith, is worried that the 60-day dispensing rule means he will have to lay off two pharmacists and three pharmacy assistants. Suneet says he will need to increase the cost of Webster packs tenfold, to $20. Suneet's pharmacies assist 100 aged-care residents and 400 elderly locals. I sincerely hope these patients will not be impacted by the Labor government's changes.

Many small pharmacies are worried the government's changes will close their doors. I will fight for Western Sydney pharmacies and their patients to ensure that the doors remain open and the cost of these rules, these changes, aren't a huge cost on my community and my community pharmacies.