16 News

Australian Greens health spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale has written to the federal health minister calling for the influenza vaccine to be made available free of charge to all Australians as part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ensuring everyone can access the flu vaccine for free is a clear step that will provide multiple benefits to the public and to our health system,” Dr Di Natale said today.
“This is a time-critical decision. We have a narrow window of time in which to act, before flu season hits and while there is time to get the required vaccines into the country.
“People with the flu will be at significantly increased risk if they contract COVID-19, regardless of how healthy they may be, so first and foremost, this vaccine will protect them from possibly life-threatening illness.
“This is even more important for people who we know are more vulnerable to this coronavirus.
“Urgently ensuring that all Australians can get the flu vaccine for free will also reduce the number of people who develop upper respiratory tract symptoms from influenza. This will ease stress and anxiety among people who are concerned about potentially having the COVID-19 virus, and will lessen the burden on testing processes.
“The new restrictions on access to aged care facilities will require people to have received the flu vaccination for entry, so ensuring this vaccine is free for everyone is important.
“At a time when many people are facing unemployment, reduced hours and uncertain months ahead, Australians should not be forced to choose between paying for the flu vaccine and going without other essentials.
“It is critical that the government take these necessary steps as a matter of urgency.
“This is a practical and straightforward measure that will save lives, keep more people healthy and lessen the burden on our health system,” said Dr Di Natale.

Australian Greens Disability spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John said the Government’s failure to extend the $550 COVID-19 supplement to people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and Carer Payment in Yesterday’s $130 billion stimulus package was an indictment on their attitude to disabled people and carers.
“It’s clear that this government is still not taking the needs of disabled people and their families seriously enough in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Steele-John said.
“The Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment exist in recognition of fact that disabled people and carers have higher everyday costs and face significant barriers to entering the workforce. Those costs and barriers have increased, not decreased, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Disabled people and carers are also having to factor in higher costs for transport, medical supplies and support workers, as well as unplanned costs for personal protective equipment to stay safe when venturing out into the community.
“To be quite honest, I’m shocked that people receiving the disability support pension and carer payment have been left out of a such a massive stimulus package.
“Everyone on the disability support pension and the carer payment needs to be able to access the $550 supplement to help them get through this crisis.”

The Federal Government’s Job Keeper payment rules fail many in the arts, entertainment and creative industry which employs many casuals and seasonal workers, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said while the payment is welcome, she is extremely worried for casual employees who won’t meet the threshold 12-months employed to qualify for the Job Keeper payment.
“The casualisation of our workforce particularly in those hardest hit industries – hospitality tourism and arts and entertainment – means employees in these sectors work seasonally and festival to festival and there is a large churn. They shouldn’t miss out because they haven’t had their positions for 12 months,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“The Government has shown a lack of understanding about how these sectors operate and their work structures.
“The Greens will fight to amend these rules so employees can be kept on regardless of whether they have been there for 12 months. We will try to make sure people who have lost their job during this crisis get the support they need.
“Hospitality, tourism and arts and entertainment industries are intertwined and will be crucial to our economic recovery.
“We need to keep people connected to their regular workplaces to give these hardest-hit sectors the best chance to rebound after this crisis.”

The Australian Government has approved a number of temporary changes to medicines regulation to ensure Australians can continue to access the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines they need, as the COVID-19 outbreak unfolds.
We are also closely monitoring the impact of the pandemic on the supply of medicines, especially those manufactured overseas, so we can take early action to address any potential supply interruptions.
New temporary measures will improve access to medicines, reduce the burden on GPs and support social distancing and self-isolation.
The measures include:

• Continued dispensing arrangements for the ongoing supply PBS subsidised medicines without a prescription will be extended to 30 June 2020.

• A home delivery service for PBS and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) medicines is now in place.

• Ongoing work with pharmacists, GPs and the States and Territories to allow medicine substitution by the pharmacist in the event of a shortage.

• Restrictions on the quantity of medicines that can be purchased to prevent unnecessary medicine stockpiling.

These temporary changes will ensure Australians can access the medicines they need throughout the coronavirus outbreak.
Continued dispensing
Emergency measures to allow continued access to essential medicines through the PBS will be extended to 30 June 2020.
These temporary “continued dispensing” arrangements allow people to obtain their usual medicines at PBS prices, even if they cannot get a new prescription from their doctor.
Under strict conditions, pharmacists will be able to give patients up to one month’s supply of their usual medicine without a script, at the usual PBS consumer co-payment.
The patient must previously have been prescribed the medicine and the pharmacist must be satisfied it is urgently needed.
These measures were originally put in place in January in response to the widespread bushfires and were due to end on 31 March 2020, however will be extended following consultation with doctors and the community pharmacy sector.
Home Delivery of Medicines
A new Home Medicines Service has been established to provide home delivery of PBS and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines, for vulnerable people and people in isolation.
This will complement the Government’s investments in telehealth, which allow people to see their doctor remotely, and if necessary obtain a script remotely. Vulnerable people will also be able to have their scripts filled remotely and delivered to their home.
The Government is fast tracking the roll out of electronic prescribing and dispensing through medical and dispensing software to make this even easier.
Substitution
The Australian Government is implementing changes to allow community pharmacists to substitute dose strengths or forms of medicines without prior approval from the prescribing doctor, if a medicine is unavailable at the time of dispensing.
These changes will relieve pressure on busy doctors and allow patients to receive their medicines from their pharmacist without delay.
The changes will allow, for example, a pharmacist to dispense different strengths of a product (such as two 20mg tablets in place of a 40mg tablet), or a different dose form of the same medicine (such as a capsule instead of a tablet).
The changes will be implemented through the Scheduling Policy Framework and Poisons Standard, with implementation by States and Territories and the Government through the TGA. The Australian Government continues to consult on the implementation and the potential expansion of these substitution measures.
Measures to prevent stockpiling
New measures were also introduced on 19 March to prevent medicines stockpiling.
Pharmacists are required to limit dispensing and sales of certain prescription and over-the-counter medicines to a one-month supply for prescription medicines, and to a maximum of one unit per purchase of certain over-the-counter non-prescription medicines
Pharmaceutical wholesalers participating in the Community Service Obligation arrangements are also required to manage the supply of medicines to community pharmacies where there are significant stock shortages, to ensure equitable distribution of medicines to all Australians.
More information is available on the Department of Health Website:
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/covid-19-national-health-plan-home-medicines-services-information-for-consumers
https://www.tga.gov.au/media-release/covid-19-limits-dispensing-and-sales-pharmacies

The Australian Government has partnered with the private hospital sector to ensure the full resources of our world class health system, are ready and focussed on treating patients as required, through the coronavirus pandemic.
Our Government has guaranteed the viability and capacity of the private hospital sector, in an agreement that will ensure over 30,000 hospital beds, and the sector’s 105,000 skilled workforce, is available alongside the public hospital sector.
This will strengthen our Australian COVID-19 response, and preserve the sector’s capacity to resume hospital services after the epidemic.
The Commonwealth will offer agreements to all 657 private and not-for-profit hospitals to ensure their viability, in return for maintenance and capacity during the CoVID-19 response.
State and territory governments will also complete private hospital COVID-19 partnership agreements in the coming days.
In an unprecedented move, private hospitals, including both overnight and day hospitals, will integrate with state and territory health systems in the COVID-19 response.
These facilities will be required to make infrastructure, essential equipment (including ventilators), supplies (including PPE), workforce and additional resources fully available to the state and territory hospital system or the Australian Government.
They will also continue to support the needs of long-stay public hospital National Disability Insurance Scheme participants, and aged care patients and general needs patients.
In conjunction with Commonwealth, State and Territory Health Ministers, private hospitals will support the COVID-19 response through services including but not limited to:

• Hospital services for public patients – both positive and negative for COVID 19.
• ategory 1 elective surgery.
• Utilisation of wards and theatres to expand ICU capacity.
• Accommodation for quarantine and isolation cases where necessary, and safety procedures and training are in place, including:
  • Cruise and flight covid-19 passengers.
  • Quarantine of vulnerable members of the community.
  • Isolation of infected vulnerable COVID-19 patients.

This is a landmark decision. Our Government is underwriting the future of the private hospital sector to:

• Ensure health network capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Provide workforce retention that includes medical, nursing, clinical and ancillary staff to preserve the private hospital sector.
• Allow activities such as non-urgent elective surgery to resume and accelerate at the appropriate time, once the COVID-19 pandemic recedes.

Our government recognises the fundamental and heroic role of our medical and nursing staff and this agreement further strengthens our health system. It gives us the capacity to respond to COVID-19 now, and the ability to preserve our hospital network for our nation’s health needs once we emerge from the crisis.
I personally want to thank our medical, nursing and allied health and support staff for their skill, dedication and compassion.
Health professionals will be provided appropriate training and equipment to ensure patient care is safe, and the health and safety of the workforce is maintained.
The arrangements will be reviewed throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure ongoing appropriateness.
Ultimately our fundamental priority is the health and well-being of all Australians.