Pharmacy Review - Responses to the Interim Report

anything that makes medicines cheaper, many people don't know about this and many cannot afford their medications

we have found we don't know what is covered and actually may have been eligible one year but did not have the appropriate information

It is not just the labeling but also the fact pharmacies cover up the details with the label. This is a problem when visiting specialists and they need to know the drug name and dosage not the brand name. It is hard when that is covered up.

Web page, not an app because you won't download it if you would not often use it. Leaving an emergency dept late on a Sat night could not get info on at the closest open pharmacy and don't live in that area so have no idea. Prescription was needed for pain killers.

Maybe if it is a regular prescription people don't always want it, but many times we have found it is not in the packet and we are unable to ascertain if the symptoms someone is having is a reaction or not. Extremely important after hours or weekends when doctors are not open and you live a distance away from emergency departments. Also it seems a waste of hospital time to have to ask them. It also gives info on whether someone should not be taking it with certain ailments. When our son was about 18 months a pediatrician prescribed Chloral Hydrate. We had no idea of the strength of this medicine and was too trusting in his judgement. We were told we had to go to a specialist chemist which could make it up. The chemist queried it but we said it was the pediatrician and given no information on the medicine or its effects. We had no internet at that stage. We were concerned about some things that were happening. At first we did not realise the problem was the medicine but after the second day we had to speak to the maternal and child health nurse. She looked it up and confirmed what we were describing was the known side effects. If we had a leaflet we could have sought assistance sooner.

It would just make us go to a particular pharmacy instead of having a choice. It also prevents you taking repeats with you on holidays in case you run out of medication. Also some medications you may not wish to get filled immediately. We have been given prescriptions for items for children we wanted to research before completing it. My mother was given a prescription by a GP recently we had filled but realised later it was the same product the same clinic had prescribed a few days before. It was on their system.

Opt in system not compulsory. This limits people getting a second opinion. Once a doctor has prescribed a medicine another doctor will not look at the symptoms with fresh eyes.

You will be made see the pharmacy of the doctors clinic choice not yours. What would prevent kickbacks to doctors for this. Often other pharmacies are more convenient because near work places or where you shop.

Agree but only if it does not restrict the operating of pharmacies in small towns. Often they don't have the requirement for all medicines or services. This could make them unsustainable and therefore limit access to medications if people have to travel a long distance.

Complementary medicines should be seen as an alternative or complement to the health system, not the enemy. Consumers should have a choice and be able to make their own decisions.

Consumers should have a choice and be free to pursue alternative therapies. If this was to be the case the pharmacies should remove all infant formulas, disposable nappies, make up, perfumes, confectionery, vitamins, sports items. If they are deal only with pharmacy items the same case could be made for these items. We have used homeopathic medicines for over 20 years, it has made us healthy, prevents the overuse of antibiotics and wasting of doctors times. This is our first treatment for minor illnesses and if that does not work then we visit the doctor. Doctors have never objected to our strategy and some have congratulated us. Most times they have said we have come in at the right time as if we had come earlier it was not serious enough.

I am confused by the use of community pharmacy. I am assuming it means the local one in your community, but are not 100% sure. I have seen a pharmacy that calls itself a community pharmacy but that was new business and we were confused by the name. We don't see it as a community one, just another business and are unsure of this terminology.

Pharmacies seem to be a huge money making enterprise. If you look at the premises they have luxurious and large floor spaces. Most businesses could not afford this.

The whole system needs to be more transparent.

We don't understand the rules and probably would have preferred to state undecided. We don't support pharmacies being located in doctors surgeries etc.

At one stage all pharmacies in a large shopping centre were owned by the same group. In small towns another pharmacy can open up as competition but in fact be owned by the same people from the other pharmacy.

This would mean the other pharmacy would not be as profitable and could in fact close reducing competition

Chemists should go back to dispensing instead of just handing out packets. This is wasteful and contributes to landfill and the foil plastic packaging cannot be recycled.

This is restricting indigenous access to medications

this would limit the compounding pharmacies services and they are hard to find now

Not sure if this makes it cheaper for consumers. Pharmacies are often telling patients to use the generic medicines and these can me made in places like India etc. Sometimes the base ingredient can upset stomachs etc and even when the patients says so they push their generic so they make more profits. Antihistamines they push their own brand rather than the doctors suggestion which can result in drowsiness. The pharmacy does not know the reactions a patient has or the reason why they are being prescribed.

Don't see how this works and what would stop someone filling another;s prescriptions illegally. I know of a person with mental illness which are on supervised medications. When they were having health problems a nurse suggested they take something they had used. This is illegal and should be stopped. The person used someone else's prescription and in the end became addicted to the medication. This would be more of a problem in machine dispensers.