PM makes 8CPA election pledge

PRIME Minister, Scott Morrison, will aim to secure a deal on an Eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA) by Jan 2025, if the Coalition retains power after tomorrow’s Federal election.

The move to secure an early agreement would contrast with the process of signing the 7CPA, which was signed less than a month before the 6CPA was due to expire (PD 15 Jun 2020).

“A re-elected Morrison Government will continue to work in partnership with the Pharmacy Guild to deliver the 7CPA and continue to pursue reforms to pharmacy programs that will maintain and improve access to community pharmacy services for patients whilst not negatively impacting the viability of community pharmacies,” Morrison said in a letter to Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Trent Twomey.

“We will continue to deliver a strong economy which will support community pharmacies and other small business owners and operators to create jobs and invest significantly in our economy.

“The Coalition Government remains committed to the community pharmacy model and the legislated Pharmacy Location Rules and will work with the Pharmacy Guild with the goal to negotiate an 8CPA by no later than Jan 2025.”

Commenting on the Coalition’s plan to cut the general co-payment from $42.50 to $32.50, Morrison said if re-elected his Government “will work with the Guild to explore further opportunities to lower medicines prices in a budgetneutral way that do not adversely affect the viability of community pharmacies”.

He added that “all scripts currently counting towards a patients’ safety-net will continue to do so”.

Meanwhile, in another letter to Twomey, Shadow Health Minister, Mark Butler, matched the Prime Minister’s 8CPA deadline pledge and reiterated Labor’s promise to cut the PBS general co-payment to $30 from 01 Jan 2023, if elected, while working with the Guild to ensure “no patient is made worse off”.

“Labor has a long history of support and cooperation with the community pharmacy sector ... including the first CPA with the Guild in 1990,” Butler said.

“Labor’s approach has not changed.

“Labor remains committed to the central place that community pharmacy plays in the primary healthcare sector.”