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So there is a budget crisis. There’s also a new federal Health Minister. And, here it comes, community pharmacies are negotiating over a billion-dollar deal with the Government: The Community Pharmacy Agreement sets out the Government funding pharmacists receive for dispensing PBS medicines.

Put these ingredients together and what do you get?

Answer: Community pharmacists who want to be doctors – oh sorry – who want to be paid for what they think are the easy parts of the doctor’s job. Oops wrong again: They want to deliver ‘better and more cost-effective health outcomes’.

If it’s up to the Pharmacist Guild, pharmacists will be:

• Filling repeat prescriptions to ‘free up doctors time’
• Treating ‘easy’ minor ailments
• Giving more vaccinations (e.g. a flu-shot for $25 with no Medicare rebate)
• Doing ‘easy’ health checks, screening and preventive health services
• Giving mental health support.

Sounds great doesn’t it? At first glance this improves access to health services and saves tax…