Page 2767 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 20 October 1992
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Now for the important bit:
This can be done within the existing budget ...
The advantages of administering methadone from approved community pharmacies are -
remember that this is the Alcohol and Drug Service saying this -
. clients needing little supervision can receive treatment from community pharmacies, allowing more costly medical and counselling resources to be focused on those most in need;
. treatment is more accessible because of the location and hours of operation of community pharmacies;
. the user-pay system allows greater numbers to access the service (currently all methadone is dispensed free of charge).
That will change under Mr Berry's approach, of course. In fact, all people on the methadone program will pay. It is fascinating to see a Labor government, who you would believe would normally be interested in social justice, introduce a charge for people who are in a needy situation. People who are just coming off a very difficult lifestyle, who have very little in their lives at that stage, will go onto a program for which they will have to pay. It is quite amazing to me. The report continues:
Dispensing methadone from community pharmacies is consistent with the National Methadone Guidelines endorsed by the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, a forum of State and federal police and health Ministers.
Mr Berry and Mr Connolly are members of this body.
Mr De Domenico: Both of them are?
MRS CARNELL: They are the Ministers, so you would have to assume so. It would appear that they both are acutely aware that dispensing methadone from community pharmacies is consistent with the national methadone guidelines. The report goes on:
The introduction of amendments to the legislation -
that is, to allow pharmacies to be treatment centres -
will involve some new costs in its introduction and implementation. As the ACT already conducts inspections of pharmacies as part of its other responsibilities, the cost is assessed as being minimal.
So, we have there the statement that the cost is assessed as being minimal and in another part of the report the statement that it can be done within budget.
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