Page 919 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 17 June 1992
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Mr Berry, when he announced a pilot scheme last year, found that he was in the position of not having the legislative base to actually put his pilot scheme into place. I am withdrawing that problem. This time, when a report is presented, the legislative platform will be in place.
Remember that pharmacists do not generate methadone prescriptions. Pharmacists merely respond to a prescription legally generated by either Woden Valley Hospital doctors or doctors approved by the Board of Health. On that basis, if nobody generates a script, then nobody dispenses methadone. The average price of methadone in Australia at this stage through pharmacy is $3 a day. But the price is as low as $1 in some States for pensioners and others, and it goes up to as high as $6 in some States for specific types of treatment. So in the ACT, where between five and 10 people would be handled by each pharmacy involved, you are really not looking at a large amount of money. Suggestions from Mr Berry that it will cost $5,000 are totally unrealistic in a place like the ACT.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (10.53): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to move a motion that this Bill be discharged.
Leave granted.
MR BERRY: I move:
That this Bill be discharged.
Madam Speaker, I raised this matter earlier in an effort to prevent unnecessary attention being drawn to the matter, and to prevent any - - -
Mr Humphries: You could have raised it privately beforehand. That would really have done the trick.
MR BERRY: It was raised earlier to prevent unnecessary attention being drawn to the matter. It was raised earlier to prevent unnecessary embarrassment to Mrs Carnell. But I think all my efforts in that regard have gone unheeded, and I think we have to draw attention to some of the details of this issue which require close consideration by the Assembly, not only in the interests of Mrs Carnell because she is not prepared to look after herself, but also in the interests of the Assembly as a whole.
The first issue that we have to address is this one of conflict of interest. Public perception is of great concern to us as legislators. What goes on in this place not only has to be fair but also has to be seen to be fair by the ordinary person in the street. I would say that Mrs Carnell's participation in this particular piece of legislation might well be argued by the ordinary person in the street to be a conflict of interest. It will reflect on her and it will reflect on this Assembly. Where does the conflict lie? Madam Speaker, the Bill quite clearly provides for "treatment centres" to be interpreted as premises at which a pharmacist practises pharmacy. I might add that it also talks about a hospital, a nursing home, a hostel or other institution that ordinarily provides treatment for persons who are drug dependent in relation to any drug of dependence. They, of course, were not mentioned by Mrs Carnell. I am not quite sure what the reasons for that are.
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