ACT announces new emergency dispensing measures.

Pharmacists operating in the ACT can now provide full Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) quantities of prescription medicines without a script to patients affected by the bushfire crisis.

The temporary authority announced by the ACT Chief Health Officer this morning comes after similar decisions by the NSW and Victorian State Governments over the last two days. 

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia ACT Branch Vice President, Professor Mark Naunton, welcomed the emergency measure, which will expire on 31 Mar.

“This is a sensible decision made by ACT Health to ensure patients maintain their access to medicines consistent with other affected states in the ACT region,” he said. 

“The current bushfire crisis is starting to create an increased demand on Canberra’s pharmacists from patients who have been displaced from NSW and Victoria and are coming into the ACT.

“Our community pharmacists are working incredibly hard to ensure this increased demand is managed to ensure patients are not adversely affected by this crisis, and this change helps pharmacists care for these people.

The special provision supersedes the three-day emergency dispensing rule, which had been in place, however, Schedule 8 medicines and a small number of specialised medicines (‘Appendix D medicines’) cannot be supplied under this provision.

See Monday's edition of Pharmacy Daily for more. 

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