Ahead of next week’s planned Canberra protest, the AJP podcast talks to CAPS volunteers about their fears for the future of the profession due to 60-day dispensing

Sydney community pharmacists Christine Kelly and Emil Demyane speak with AJP Podcast host Carlene McMaugh about how the Community and Pharmacists Support Group plans to fight the controversial policy – and why.

“We’re just a bunch of independent pharmacists” who are “really passionate about the future for all of our young pharmacists as well,” says Kelly.

“Our goal is to apply pressure onto the government to actually listen to our profession, to take a pause on the 60-day policy…and to consult with us as well,” says Kelly.

“There’s a lot riding on this and the way it’s rolled out,” says Demyane, saying that it needs to be rolled out so that “no Australian is worse off,” including pharmacists.

He said that third-year pharmacy students are already asking, “Are we going to have an internship? How am I going to get an internship if there are no spots in a community pharmacy?”

And what will happen if the policy begins as expected in just a day or two?

“We’re going to protest in every single state,” says Kelly. “Until they listen to us!”

Pharmacists put in an enormous amount of effort to help the community during the Covid pandemic, she says.

“We’re not going to stop the fight.

“Because it’s not fair. And we are the voters. Our customers are voters as well. And they owe it to us to listen to us. And that involves consulting as well.”

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