Consumers have benefited for almost 30 years from the Pharmacy Location Rules, which were introduced by the Government in the 1990s to ensure all Australians have access to PBS medicines and related services, delivered through a well-established network of pharmacies.
The rules ensure that community pharmacies are established where there is a genuine community need and prevent the clustering of pharmacies in more lucrative, high socio-economic areas. This allows all patients timely and convenient access to a local pharmacy.
“The Location Rules have played an important and beneficial part in sustaining the effective network of community pharmacies in Australia – a network that benefits patients wherever they live,” said National President of the Pharmacy Guild, George Tambassis.
Evidence published by the Pharmacy Guild shows that the current regulation of community pharmacies delivers high levels of access, choice, competition, equity and quality for consumers. The evidence reveals that 87 per cent of Australians live within 2.5km of at least one pharmacy.
It is said that this level of access to community pharmacies is higher than access for supermarkets, banks and medical centres in both capital cities and regional areas.
