Since January 1, Victorians have no longer had access to any 24-hour pharmacies as cuts to government funding shrink the opening hours at local chemists.
This one is going to be pure numbers.
- How much has the government been paying to subsidise pharmacies so they stay open overnight?
- How many people visit pharmacies between midnight and 7am?
Then, we ask the question: is No. 2 worth the cost of No 1?
The government thinks not.
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But katie waited hours after getting a scrip to try and fill it it on nye! She had to go to an alternate service! Won’t someone think of katie???
But where’s all the money going? 30% worse debt-to-GSP ratio than NSW, and nothing to show for it (besides highest-paid premier in the country).
I’m waaaaaaay out of date with Victorian politics. When I left Melbourne, Dan was still pretty new to the job. I have no idea what the budget is doing.
The budget has been getting deeper into the red for years, while they continue to gut health services and fail to deliver on much-needed infrastructure (e.g. see all the transport improvements they’ve cancelled).
No 24 hour pharmacies at all? That sucks… I’ve needed to use them a few times when I’ve been desperate for things before. But I suppose the major thing people would be buying from them would be Panadol or Nurofen, and I guess worst case you can probably buy those things from a servo or even get them uber eats’d if you can’t get to one, as pricey as it would be
This woman was disorganised but shit happens. You want an option if something crops up that you didn’t foresee. Also a lot of the Supercare places weren’t 24hr so there wasn’t really a chance to record the demand for that.
Maybe it’s not considered worth funding by the government but… above all I really don’t like moves to reduce access to any type of healthcare. Especially when it’s being talked about in terms of funding. The healthcare system has already been so eroded by budget cuts and lack of investment. GPs and hospitals are slammed.
Also yeah, work hours very much can conflict with seeing a GP.
Don’t know how I just found this out, but I actually go the pharmacy a lot overnight to get scripts done and get medical supplies. Like what am I meant to do if I need to fulfill a script overnight? Seems like something as important as dispensing medication, at times life saving, should be available at any time so that anyone can get it. What’s the next thing that’s gonna be cut to save on money?
