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Monday, 19 March 2012
Page: 3192

Pharmaceutical Services

To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition from residents of Hackett, ACT, and surrounds, draws the attention of the House to the fact this community is without reasonable access to the supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits by an approved pharmacist. This community has been denied local access to a pharmacy approved under Section 90 of the National Heath Act 1953 due to an unintended consequence of the application of the Pharmacy Location Rules. The current level of supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits to this community does not provide the resident population with reasonable, timely nor adequate access to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). This denies the community the same access to all PBS services including the full services provided by a pharmacy that is available to neighbouring suburbs. This in turn does not allow residents to improve their health outcomes through access to, and quality use of, medicines in a timely manner.

We ask the House to give the community of Hackett and surrounds reasonable access to the supply of Pharmaceutical Benefits by requesting the Minister for Health and Ageing exercise the Discretionary Power under subsection 90A(2) of the National Health Act 1953 to approve the pharmacy premises at 5/1-5 Hackett Place, Hackett, ACT.

from 1,325 citizens