Yackandandah Pharmacy set to relocate, expand and upgrade services

Ros McIntyre will be moving her High Street pharmacy to the CC's Quality Meats and Smokehouse building next month.

"We've simply outgrown the space we are in now," Ms McIntyre said.

"The new building will be double the size, so it's going to allow us to have more services, two consult rooms and a staff room.

"It will enable us to run skin check clinics, bone health screening clinics, have baby weigh scales and anemia testing all on top of the services we already provide."

Ms McIntyre also hopes to get Allied Health professionals in once a fortnight to provide diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation services.

"We are looking at doing pharmacy prescribing and more vaccinations," Ms McIntyre said.

"The pharmacy will also have more private areas and a bigger front of shop, which is very exciting."

But although business is booming, Ms McIntyre holds apprehensions about the impending 60-day dispensing policy proposed by the government.

Under the changes, about six million Australians can expect to see their costs halved for 320 common medicines.

The pharmacy sector has been fiercely lobbying against the shift from the existing 30-day limit, arguing it will lead to significant financial losses for the industry.

"It will have a huge impact on pharmacies," Ms McIntyre said.

"People think pharmacists make millions of dollars, but the changes will mean roughly a third of our total revenue will be taken out, which comes out of staff wages, rent and things like that.

"They've said they're going to reinvest the money back into the pharmacy sector, but it's not necessarily into pharmacies, it's into the wholesalers and the pharmaceutical developers."

Ms McIntyre believes that in the end, consumers will not see the benefits as pharmacies will have to make up for lost revenue elsewhere.

"They're saying that we will be dispensing less so we will be able to provide more services, but for free.

"With less money from dispensing we are going to have to start charging for these services, so people may be able to get their $7.30 script every two months, but they've come in and had their blood pressure three times so in the end, they won't benefit."

If all goes to plan, renovations on the new building will start next month with the hopes of officially opening in October 2023.

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