MEDIA RELEASE 16TH MARCH 2020 – Members of the National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA) have taken proactive measures in consultation with Government and the CSO Agency to help manage demand for medicines due to the COVID-19 emergency.
With special approval from the government agency, measures were put in place last week to limit order quantities and help ensure equitable access to medicines for all Australians, no matter where they live. These measures are under hourly review as the situation evolves.
It is important to note that no pharmacy brand, organisation or order is being prioritised at this time. Metropolitan and rural pharmacies are being equally serviced.
We support today’s advice from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA):
We call on consumers not to purchase more medicines than they need, and we urge health professionals to reassure patients that there is no need to buy more than is necessary. Health professionals should also avoid prescribing or dispensing multiple months of supply of prescription medicines to patients where there is no clinical need to do so.
We call on pharmacists to avoid over ordering medicines, to help ensure that medicines are available to all Australians who need them.
NPSA members are working closely with suppliers to replenish stock as it becomes available and has a range of contingency measures in place to meet extraordinary and evolving circumstances. We understand the pressure on all parts of the supply chain and appreciate the extreme difficulties being faced by our pharmacy customers.
Contact:
Elizabeth Cuming, Executive Director NPSA, 0417 119 214
Myles Wallace, Michels Warren PR, 0432 866 094
The National Pharmaceutical Services Association represents CSO* wholesalers Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, National Pharmacies, Sigma Healthcare and Symbion. NPSA members are part of Australia’s Critical National Infrastructure.
*Community Service Obligation Wholesalers, on behalf of the Australian Government, supply around 300m PBS medicines per year to Australians regardless of where they reside within 24 hours of ordering.