Negotiations for an eighth Community Pharmacy Agreement (8CPA) will soon commence.
The 8CPA will support patient access to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidised medicines, programs, and related services through community pharmacies across Australia.
Negotiations will commence as soon as a possible and conclude by 30 June 2024.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia will continue to be signatories to any new agreement.
In addition, consultations for the 8CPA will include patient groups, medicines wholesalers and distributors, and others who have a stake in the growth and development of pharmacy services that benefit all Australians.
A new agreement will include an assessment of the effectiveness of the current programs under the existing 7CPA, including how well it delivers for patients and consumers. It will also take note of the past findings and recommendations of reviews into the sector.
The Government will look to harness all these lessons in developing a new agreement in partnership, and through negotiation, with the pharmacy sector.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The future for pharmacy in Australia must be about more than dispensing revenue for pharmacy owners.
“The new agreement will support the Government’s ongoing commitment to improving patient health outcomes and providing cheaper medicines for all Australians.
“Community pharmacies already play an integral role in the health care of their local communities. The Government wants to see pharmacists play a larger role in the primary care sector by further supporting patients.”
