Doorstop – Canberra 26 October

REBECCA WHITE, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING: I’m really pleased to be here at Kingston Capital Pharmacy with Sandra, who’s the owner, as well as my parliamentary colleague, Assistant Minister Emma McBride, and Vice President of Pharmacy Guild Australia, Simon Blacker, who will also be joining to give some remarks. We’re also joined today by Erin, who’s a patient advocate, who will talk about what this trial means from the perspective of a woman. We know that women’s health has been elevated to become a national priority for the Albanese Labor government. It’s a key priority for us to make sure that women have access to the choice, and also the affordability they need for the healthcare that they deserve. I’m really proud today to be able to announce that we are launching a trial from February next year to expand access for women to the medications that they need through their local community pharmacy. This trial will support women to have access to support for uncomplicated UTIs, as well as contraception. And we know this has been an issue that many states and territories have been providing additional support for and this national trial now will help us roll this out over a period of 12 months to gather information to evaluate the effectiveness, the safety, and the appropriateness of this to ensure that we can continue to expand on the work that we’ve been doing to support women to have access to healthcare that they deserve. This is all part of our nearly $800 million women’s health package that was launched by the Albanese Labor government in response to the feedback we heard from Australian women that they needed better access and more timely care for the health demands they were facing. This trial will support women to have access to uncomplicated UTI treatments, contraceptive treatments, right across the country. I’ll pass now to Assistant Minister Emma McBride who’ll talk about what this means, particularly for women who are living in rural and regional parts of Australia.

ASSISTANT MINISTER EMMA MCBRIDE: Thanks so much, Bec. I’m very proud to be here today in the Capital pharmacy in Kingston, alongside Minister White, for this really significant announcement. This builds on, as Minister White said, our $800 million investment in the health of women and girls, improving access, affordability, and convenience. I was reflecting on the Women’s Health Package and the change it means, particularly for women living in regional or more remote parts of Australia. We’ve had the first PBS listings of contraceptives since I first registered as a pharmacist back in 1998. And in 1997, Simon, or Gus, as I knew him then, the Guild vice president and I were working in Flannery’s Pharmacy in Forbes. I’ve seen firsthand the trust and confidence that people living outside of our big cities have in community pharmacies. The more than six thousand pharmacies across the country that are open long hours, evenings, and weekends that provide advice, that provide care, and now we’ll be able to provide more support for women in uncomplicated UTIs and hormonal contraceptives. It’s estimated that about 900,000 women will benefit from this trial, and I’m particularly keen to see that access and timeliness for women who, in the past, would have otherwise been forced to go to an emergency department or wait several days, when the only thing that a community pharmacist could offer was a Ural sachet and some pain relief. This is such a big step forward in women’s health, in their access and affordability of care. And as a pharmacist myself and someone who’s worked in the regions, I know the really big difference this will make, particularly for women living outside of our major cities, I might now hand over to Simon, our Guild vice president, to add some more.

SIMON BLACKER, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PHARMACY GUILD AUSTRALIA: Community pharmacists across Australia are really excited and thankful for the Albanese Government’s trust in community pharmacy to help deliver more accessible healthcare services in a timely manner to women across Australia. Pharmacists are appropriately trained and have been delivering these services for some time now. To have this service subsidised so that patients will have the consultation free of charge, and where a medication is prescribed, to be able to access that medication at a PBS equivalent price, it’s a significant announcement and we do thank the government for that. Consultations will be conducted in a private consultation room, and all pharmacies that participate are an accredited pharmacy that provides safe, quality services. So, patients can be assured that they will receive the service that they need at an appropriate time, in an appropriate location of their choosing. Pharmacies are open earlier, later, and for longer than many other aspects of the healthcare system, and by allowing women to have access to these services through a community pharmacy, the intent is to keep people out of accident and emergency, for women to have an appointment available to them, perhaps that they can’t get from their GP in a timely manner. So we stand ready and willing in February, to deliver these services and to provide greater access to women across Australia.

ERIN CROSS, PATIENT ADVOCATE: I’m very excited about today’s announcement, not just for myself, but for women around Australia. I’ve been on hormonal contraception for coming on nine years now, and being able to access the services I need without having to go to a GP at a reduced price is amazing. It’s also extremely convenient. I know a lot of women struggle to put their health first, especially if they’re working and this new trial will allow them to fit in their own health needs during hours that convenient for them. Pharmacies are open later and longer, which is fantastic. They can fit it in during their day.

SANDRA FERRINGTON, OWNER OF CAPITAL CHEMIST KINGSTON: At Capital Chemist Kingston, we are always, every day, seeing women wanting accessible options for their healthcare when they find it difficult to get appointment in a timely fashion. We can let patients know they can come in. They can talk to our trained pharmacists. They can speak to them in a private setting, and we can assess their needs, provide service as appropriate, and referrals when we need to refer them on for further treatment. This trial is going to make a huge difference. To us, providing everyday healthcare for these women, in a timely fashion, safe, and when they need it. We’re really looking forward to participating in this trial and the difference it will make to the women in our community.

WHITE: I’ll just say one thing, if I may. Sorry, I wasn’t clear when I spoke about it, but this trial from February next year is open for patients who have a concession card, but also for general patients who are eligible. This is an expansion on what we initially announced. In consultation with community pharmacy and listening to women. What we heard is we need to make access easier and provide more choice, delivered by the Albanese Labor Government. So from February next year, women who are eligible, whether they’ve got a concession card or not, can walk into their community pharmacy and get treatment for an uncomplicated UTI, or have their script refilled for hormonal contraception, and talk to their pharmacist about how they can continue to support their health needs.

JOURNALIST: I’m not sure if was covered, but how long will the trial last for?

WHITE: This is a 12-month trial that will begin in February, and we’ll be evaluating it as we go to understand how effective it’s been, making sure it’s delivered safely, making sure we’re meeting the needs of patients, and that we’re doing that in a way that is also meeting the needs community pharmacy. We are fully subsidising the cost of the consultation for patients who are engaging in this trial, making sure that the only out of pocket expense for them will be whatever the medicines’ price is listed on PBS.