Regional pharmacists say proposed changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) which will allow patients to buy 60 days' worth of medication on a single prescription will be "another nail in the coffin of regional health".
The federal government has today confirmed a 60-day supply of 320 medications, rather than the current 30-day supply, will be made available from September.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the changes would effectively halve the cost of medications for patients.
But regional pharmacies say the change will decrease regional patients' access to healthcare.
"We're trying to be the eyes and ears of doctors while the patients can't get to doctors," Merimbula pharmacist Tania Dwyer said.
"Having less access to pharmacists, less opportunity to talk about medications, how does that improve things?"
The Royal College of GPs is supportive of the changes, which it says will free up GP appointments and save patients money.
Pharmacists currently receive dispensing fees from the Commonwealth each time medication is sold.
Luke Van der Rijt, who runs pharmacies in Wagga Wagga and Uranquinty, said operating hours and staff could need to be reduced to make up revenue lost by halving those fees.
"If you remove that, there is no access to healthcare other than after-hours doctors, which are usually swamped, or the emergency department," he said.
Health Minister Mark Butler said savings in dispensing fees would be reinvested into community pharmacies, and indicated the Rural Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance, which provides financial support to eligible rural pharmacies, would be doubled in the upcoming budget.
Mr Van der Rijt said pharmacies were the closest and most accessible medical port of call in the regions.
"In rural towns sometimes it may be that there's only one pharmacy and no GP, and these communities may lose their pharmacies altogether if they become unviable," he said.
"This will fundamentally change access in rural and regional health."
Check-ins missed
Deniliquin pharmacist Reza Safaei-Hosseinpour said a monthly trip to the pharmacist was a crucial check-in point for minor medical issues.
"If they're not encouraged to come to the pharmacy that aspect won't get taken care of," he said.
"They're either far from doctors or can't see one because of the GP shortages, so that goes untreated and can become something more serious."
Mr Van Der Rijt said supplying 60 days of medication may not be possible in regional areas.
He said his Wagga Wagga pharmacy had more than 200 items out of stock last Friday.
He said the changes would only increase the shortages.
"In a town that only has one pharmacy, if that pharmacy can't get the medication people unfortunately go without," he said.
Mr Butler has denied the changes would affect medication supply, and said only seven of the proposed medications to be listed had any Therapeutic Goods Administration supply issues.
Different method
Ms Dwyer said there was a need for the government to look at the way medication was dispensed in Australia.
She said many patients were not purchasing medication because they couldn't afford it.
She suggested the government further reduce patient financial contributions for medicines.
"The Labor government has already reduced that from $42 to $30, which has been a huge saving but we really feel that should go one step further and come down to $19," she said.
"That saving reaches more patients than what else has been put onto the table."
