This appeared last week:
Chemists protest medicine rule change in angry walk out
Tom McIlroy Political correspondent
Sep 4, 2023 – 5.37pm
Pharmacists have staged an angry walk-out of federal parliament, protesting the Albanese government’s moves to allow more than 4 million consumers to buy two months’ worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription.
Hundreds of pharmacists were in Canberra for a protest on Monday morning, and many pharmacists attended question time in white uniforms, jeering as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended Labor’s consultation over the plan.
In an already rowdy question time, Speaker of the House of Representatives Milton Dick warned people in public galleries that they were present as observers, not participants, in parliamentary proceedings and should refrain from interjecting.
But hostilities escalated dramatically when members of the group loudly exited the chamber, with many yelling at MPs on the chamber floor below in a co-ordinated exit.
Some shouted “lies” and at least one pharmacist raised his middle fingers as he walked out. The sitting was disrupted for a few minutes.
The guild said in a statement it was not involved in the chamber ruckus and wanted to resolve its differences with the government as quickly as possible.
New funding deal
Health Minister Mark Butler told question time the government had agreed to bring forward negotiations on a new funding agreement for community pharmacies. A deal could be agreed by March 1.
He said Labor MPs had met members of the profession “time and time again” to discuss the changes and criticised the opposition for not considering the cost-of-living benefits for consumers.
“That commitment was contingent upon a decision by the guild to stand down their campaign against this measure” he said.
“A reasonable person in this building might question whether that commitment is being delivered upon.”
For months, Labor has stuck to its plan to move to 60-day dispensing rules. The change came into force on September 1, after the Coalition pulled out of an attempt in parliament to stop the regulation going into effect.
Change affects common medicines
More than 320 common medicines are covered by the change, including medication for high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, depression and anxiety, osteoporosis, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease.
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Back when I was a boy if a dispute arose between the Pharmacists and the Government the Pharmacy Guild would sort it all out behind closed doors with more than often a Government backdown to what was then a very powerful lobby. No fuss and no unseemly protest!
It looks like all has changed and that the Guild has been de-fanged, or lost control. with this latest white-coat outburst! I wonder what has happened for the Guild to be essentially ignored? I guess we will hear in time!
A very interesting change….
David.
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