Political
Membership boost would strengthen PPA’s hand
Employee pharmacists are already benefiting from “wins” secured by Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA) but an increase in the union’s membership could bolster its negotiating power, President Leon Yap says. Commenting …
Albo spruiks PBS co-payment cut at Mackay pharmacy
Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is continuing to flag the federal government’s efforts to ease cost-of-living pressures with its $12.50 cut to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) general co-payment. The PM …
Unions want to charge non-members for pay deals
Employee pharmacists who are not members of a trade union could face levies to compensate the organisations for negotiating pay deals. With union membership at an all-time low of 12.5 …
Pharmacists should be able to give monkeypox vaccine
The profession stands “ready and able”, say US pharmacists A group of 14 health organisations have written to the US health officials asking for all pharmacists in the country to …
Scrapped script change revealed
Senior treasury ministers accidentally disclosed a scrapped plan by the Federal Government to cut the general co-payment by $10 Financial Services Minister Jane Hume and Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar revealed …
Stepping in
PM steps into role of acting Health Minister as Hunt takes leave for infection Health Minister Greg Hunt has taken sick leave as he battles cellulitis, a bacterial infection of …
Community pharmacy push in lead up to election
This Pharmacy Guild branch has secured written statements of support from its state’s Labor, Liberal, Nationals and Greens parties Community pharmacies in Western Australia has received written statements of support …
Withholding medicines an abuse of human rights: AMSA, NAPSA
Medical and pharmacy students call on Department of Home Affairs to commit to timely and consistent provision of medicines following allegations from immigration centre detainees The Australian Medical Students’ Association …
$76m boost for mental health support
Government promises funding for expanded mental health services including free counselling for bushfire-affected people and training for frontline personnel including pharmacists Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced an initial $76 …
New legislation to better detect PBS fraud
A bill is being considered to give the government more powers to investigate PBS and MBS fraud, including claims for medicines that have not been supplied Health Minister Greg Hunt …
‘This bill won’t fix the crisis.’
Bill to reduce PBS safety net thresholds from 1 January 2020 has now passed both Houses, but Labor criticises government on medicines costs The National Health Amendment (Safety Net Thresholds) …
‘Pharmacists are not practising to the full extent of their training.’
Profession’s role discussed as $1 million funding announced for community pharmacists in drought-stricken regional areas to deliver mental health support The role of community pharmacists in mental health care has …