Ditch signatures for safety: Twomey

PHARMACISTS are calling on the Federal Government to “immediately suspend” the requirement for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation PBS (RPBS) prescriptions to be signed, in response to the going COVID-19 pandemic.

Heeding advice from international colleagues, former Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Kos Sclavos, said “the signing pen will be out biggest risk”, during a panel discussion at the Australian Pharmacy Professionals (APP) Conference online, on Fri.

Guild National Vice President, Trent Twomey, called on the Department of Health to provide clear guidance as to whether signatures would continue to be required during the crisis, noting he had taken the decision not to ask patients to sign for PBS and RPBS scripts as a COVID-19 risk mitigation strategy.

“I’m not asking a patient to sign anything in any of my pharmacies,” he said.

“I would love the situation where a Commonwealth Government agent comes and asks me why I haven’t done that.

“I’m relishing the opportunity for one of them to come and have that conversation with me about why I didn’t comply with that in this crisis.”

Twomey stressed that his decision not to seek patient signatures for scripts was not Guild policy, nor a recommendation from the organisation.

However, he did suggest that pharmacy owners and manager should consider removing “superfluous stuff”, which could become contaminated with the virus, such as signing pads and pens from the dispensary, and promote the use of soap and water over hand sanitiser, for staff handwashing.