Pharmacist cries foul over Govt funding

AN Invercargill pharmacist who worked long hours during the peak of the Covid19 pandemic feels betrayed none of the $18 million set aside for pharmacies has been given out.

The Ministry of Health has only received one application for the pandemic recovery funding, and pharmacy owners say the criteria to get grants is too tough.

Steve Jo owns Unichem Southcity in Invercargill. During the lockdown, he and his staff clocked long hours and footed the bill for extra services including personal protective equipment — about $200 per staff member.

He said he was delighted when the funding was announced, until he read the eligibility criteria.

‘‘We had to demonstrate ‘critical financial viability’, ‘seriously threatened’, those kind of terms. And they wanted to have a look at all our books and everything. I feel that basically, if we are about to shut the door, then we might be able to claim it but otherwise don’t even think about it.’’

After weeks of working on the frontline, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

‘‘I personally felt a little bit betrayed about it, because the Government was saying that we’re doing a good thing and we want to look after community pharmacists who work really hard at the frontline, but here’s $18 million that you can’t really touch.’’

Gina Cook, from business advisory firm BDO, specialises in the pharmacy sector, and said little information had been provided about the fund.

‘‘The DHBs are administering it and have written a letter to pharmacies, and I’ve had a look at that letter — it is quite vague. It basically just outlines what a critical pharmacy is, and it is quite a hard criteria to meet.’’

She said the definition of what constitutes an essential or critical pharmacy was flawed.

Pharmacy Guild chief executive Andrew Gaudin said since the pandemic, things had got worse.

‘‘Certainly we’ve seen stores that have either had to cut their opening hours, cut their services, or cut staff, and some have been forced to close.’’

In a statement, a Ministry of Health spokesperson confirmed the funding was for pharmacies threatened with closure as a direct result of Covid19.

On the issue of the copayment fee, a spokesperson for the Health Minister said it was not an issue the Labour Party campaigned on, and with the new government not yet sworn in, it would be inappropriate to comment.