The Newbery Pharmacy in Kadina and Terry White Chemmart in Port Augusta are among hundreds of pharmacies across regional Australia to receive additional funding from the Federal Government under the revised Regional Pharmacy Maintenance Allowance (RPMA) program.
Regional Health Minister Mark Coulton said changes to the Government’s RPMA program will help maintain access to medicines and pharmacy services across regional Australia.
“The community pharmacy plays a vital role delivering medicines and essential health services to locals,” Minister Coulton said.
“Like their counterparts across regional Australia, these community pharmacies do a tremendous job supporting the health and wellbeing of locals, which has been particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey said it is vital pharmacies across Australia can provide people living in regional Australia with the very best service available.
“Community pharmacies play a vital role in providing access to medicines and essential health services for Australians who live in regional, rural and remote areas,” he said.
“The RPMA is supporting pharmacies to provide a steady and reliable supply of medicines and other pharmacy services.”
Minister Coulton said the changes were a key outcome of the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA) signed with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia in June 2020.
Newbery Chemist owner, Tim Gross said the RPMA provided vital support to regional, rural and remote pharmacies to meet the needs of their patients.
“Our pharmacies in these areas are pivotal in providing medicines and services to help improve the health outcomes of communities who live in these regions,” Mr Gross said.
“Having the support of the allowance underpins our ability to continue to not only provide these services, but to continually look to new services we can offer. Delivery of the upcoming national Covid vaccination program is a perfect example.
“Patients are the winners. The increased funding means community pharmacies in regional, rural and remote areas can provide more services to patients who at times may have been at a disadvantage compared with urban pharmacies.
Mr Gross said overall, while no system of distribution is perfect, this new system provides better outcomes for more pharmacies and patients in regional, rural and remote Australia, with the potential for further opportunities to improve health outcomes in these local communities in the future.”
The Australian Government boosted its investment in the RPMA program from $16 million a year to $21 million a year under the 7CPA. Across regional Australia, the RPMA program supports more than 1,200 pharmacies.
Media contact: Steph Nicholls 0417 314 920
Leonie Lloyd-Smith 8633 1744
