Thousands of Australians could miss out on vital medication due to supply shortages, government policy and cost of living rises.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia's Victorian president Anthony Tassone said limited access to medicine, either because people could not afford it or the goods were not available, would lead to poorly controlled health and pressure on the hospital system.
"This is not sounding like a first world country," Mr Tassone said.
"[The medical industry] is an already stretched system under strain. We can't afford that. We can't take that risk."
More than 940 medicines are in critical, low, or medium supply according to a Therapeutic Goods Administration database on April 24.
Among them are common medications for chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and blood thinners.
The shortage has worsened significantly since November 2022, yet Mr Tassone said manfacturing issues had created a problem for years.
"The global supply chain of medicines is [now] more concentrated and more reliant on fewer players," Mr Tassone said.
"We don't have onshore manufacturing for prescription medications like we had done previously."
Some vaccines are still produced in Australia but prescription medicines were phased out well before COVID-19.
"It is a complex problem without a simple solution," Mr Tassone said.
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Rising cost of medication
Medication issues do not stop at the supply chain.
Mr Tassone, who is a pharmacist, said many people could no longer afford to pay for the script they needed as the cost of living increased.
The Guild wants to see a decrease in medication co-payments. That is, the fixed amount you pay for a medication, in May's federal government budget. It hopes that would ease out of pocket costs for patients.
The Labor government lowered the general co-payment maximum which applies to people who don't have a concession card, from $42.50 to $30, in January 2023.
It was the first time the co-payment had been lowered since the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme began 75 years ago.
"We are calling for further reduction to help alleviate the cost of living for patients and increase access to healthcare," Mr Tassone said.
"Medicines can be very useful to help treat managed chronic conditions but they don't work if you don't take them," he said.
"You can't take them if you can't afford them."
60-day supply could worsen shortage
In early April, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association called on the federal government to allow chemists to dispense a 60-day supply for many common medications.
Mr Tassone said while that may be convenient for patients, it could increase supply chain and expense issues.
"You would be having sudden increases in demand and 'lumpy' increases. We have a supply chain that has had a lot of difficulty keeping up with demand here in Australia for quite some time.
"This proposal to government, if implemented, would not only cause worsening medication shortages but significantly impact the financial viability of community pharmacies," he said.
The Guild believes this proposal would put local pharmacy jobs at risk and impact a "range of patient services".
"It's particularly regional and rural areas that we are worried about," Mr Tassone said.
Lucinda Garbutt-Young
Lucinda Garbutt-Young is a public sector and federal politics reporter. She was previously The Canberra Times' property reporter and national video lead, after coming to the capital via the Newcastle Herald. Got a tip? Email her at l.garbutt-young@austcommunitymedia.com.au
