The blatant cost errors aside, the part of Sue’s article I take issue with is her description of dispensing fees being to pay for the pharmacist to pull stock off a shelf and label it. This is NOT what dispensing fees are for. Pharmacists are highly skilled medicines experts./1

The dispensing process involves ensuring the prescribed medication is safe and appropriate for each individual. This means confirming the drug/dose is suitable and clinically appropriate as well as identifying potential drug interactions./2

This often involves contacting the prescriber to change a dose or raise a concern, which takes time and deserves remuneration. Finally, pharmacists need to provide adequate counselling on how to take the medicine, give info about side effects and answer any questions./3

Prescribers often have little time to explain how the medicines work, how they should be taken, what to expect when taking them or to answer patient questions specific to medicines, so this is a core role for pharmacists which again deserves remuneration. /4

Additionally, pharmacists provide advice and treatment for a huge range of minor ailments, or refer serious issues to GP’s or hospital at no charge. There is no other health professional you can just drop into and ask for medical advice for free./5

Pharmacists do not have access to any Medicare funding for providing advice and treatment for minor ailments or preventative care like other health professionals do. The dispensing fees are there to pay pharmacists for their expertise and skill./6

Is this the best funding model? Probably not! I think many pharmacists are open to changing this funding system, but in its current state, this is how pharmacists get paid. /7

The PBS ensures that no one pays over $41 (or $6.60 for concession card holders) for any PBS medicine, even if it costs thousands of dollars. If you have a problem with that $41 cap, bring that up with the govt, they set that cap not pharmacists./8

Pharmacy’s are small businesses, and just like any other business, you are entitled to shop around to find the best price, or the best service. If you haven’t had positive experiences with your pharmacy or pharmacists, go to another and tell them about what you didn’t like./9

I don’t know enough about the location rules to make comment about people in rural/regional locations who may find it harder to shop around. But the article did highlight ways to get cheaper medicines, if that is all you are looking for from your pharmacy. /9