Canberra pharmacies are ramping up their fight against changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), with signage from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia on full display in shops across the capital.
Popular chemist chain Priceline Pharmacy has recently been criticised for displaying the same signage in their stores.
Customers on social media are claiming it is blatant political advertising and are calling for other shoppers to boycott the pharmacy
These posters follow a recent Albanese government announcement of changes to the PBS. The measure will effectively halve the co-payment people pay on more than 320 drugs.
The federal government said the policy, which is set to come into action on September 6, will offer savings to patients of more than $1.6 billion over the next four years. However, it will cut government subsidies to pharmacists for dispensing medicines due to less frequent patient visits.
The change was welcomed by the Australian Medical Association and the Consumer's Health Forum.
Owner of The Pharmacy on Bunda Matthew Devlin believes this policy "will destroy the [pharmacy] industry" and will have unintended consequences across the health sector.
Mr Devlin said the policy would cause his business to reduce trading hours, cut staff and essential services his pharmacy is currently offering for free.
"There are a lot of things we do for free, people can walk in here and talk to a pharmacist and get free health advice straight away, free blood pressure testing, free home delivery, and all these services will have to be cut," he said.
"What is going to be impacted is the community because it's their access to pharmaceutical services that is going to be greatly diminished."
Mr Devlin is also concerned about the social impact this could have on his customers.
"For some of our customers, the only monthly contact they have is with their pharmacist, that contact is really important from a mental health and welfare perspective," he said.
"This is not about pharmacies wanting more profit, this is about local pharmacies, like ours, being able to offer services that benefit our community, we won't be able to afford these services."
He said the aim of the signage was to help inform customers about the impact pharmacists think the policy will have on their industry.
"Customers need to be fully informed, when they do see the full story of what is going on and how it will impact the community they become concerned," Mr Devlin said.
He encourages customers to talk to their local pharmacist about how they will be impacted or do more research on the changes to the PBS.
"We have to keep our signs up, we cannot stop. This isn't about [pharmacists] feeling ripped off, this is about survival. If we stop [fighting] and this policy goes ahead it will decimate the industry," Mr Devlin said.
President of the ACT Pharmacy Guild, Simon Blacker has been flooded with calls from pharmacy owners in the territory about how they can survive the changes.
"Pharmacies are worried about job losses, worried about their ability to serve the community and have sought our resources to find out how they can best educate patients on the changes," he said.
"The Pharmacy Guild has provided material to help communicate the challenges [of these changes] and pharmacists can use them as they see fit."
The material provided has been the posters displayed in pharmacies around the ACT and the pamphlets and flyers Priceline have been criticised for using.
Mr Blacker also encourages people to talk to their local pharmacist about how the changes to the PBS will impact their local pharmacy.
"Take the opportunity to be informed about how complicated our sector is and the unintended consequences that are going to come from the changes," he said.
"As a community pharmacy owner myself, I am weighing up my rosters, and trading hours."
President of the Royal College of General Practitioners Dr Nicole Higgins recently called the pharmacist's opposition to the changes a "scare campaign".
Canberra local, Steve Lazzari is in favour of the signage on display in pharmacies.
"I think the posters are okay, I do not mind them because at least it means people can do more research," he said.
"If the pharmacies do not want [the dispensary changes] because it's hurting them, I think it is a good thing they are sharing information."
