PRESSURES on rural pharmacies with the introduction of 60-day prescriptions from last Friday have seen one Loddon chemist cut its opening hours.
Boort Pharmacy has stopped trading on Saturday mornings as it adjusts to Federal Government changes.
Pharmacist Daniel Snyder said 60-day prescriptions had been among factors in making the decision.
“This is the biggest threat rural pharmacies have seen to their viability,” said Mr Snyder who has had the Boort Pharmacy for 11 years.
“We are the first place a lot of people come to (for health information), we are the most accessible health care professionals in Australia ... COVID was the best example of that because we were still open.
“At the end of the day, pharmacies are one of the core businesses in Australian communities.”
Mr Snyder and other Loddon pharmacies have voiced concerns with the Government’s prescription changes, saying they were introduced without proper economic studies and due diligence.
He welcomed last week’s commitment by the Government and Pharmacy Guild of Australia to start immediate talks on a new community pharmacy agreement. The agreement will start from next March.
Guild president Trent Twomey said pharmacists wanted cheaper medicine for their patients and that could be achieved without negatively impacting community pharmacies.
“The Pharmacy Guild of Australia remains committed to working with the Albanese Government to deliver cheaper medicines in a way that does not adversely impact the viability of community pharmacies, or patients’ access to community pharmacy services,” he said. 
The guild says it will continue to work with pharmacies that are most impacted by 60-day dispensing to ensure their viability remains intact while negotiations start with the Government.
Mr Snyder said pharmacists wanted an agreement that made “patients better off but where businesses are not worse off”.