Insights Sectors: Pharmacy

A refresher on the key responsibilities for pharmacists who conduct vaccinations The Australian Federal Government has announced that pharmacists will play a key role in the COVID-19 vaccination rollout strategy. Phases 2 and 3 of the vaccine rollout involve administering the vaccine in multiple locations, including community pharmacies.  Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout commenced […]

Real Time Prescription Monitoring (RTPM) is a national digital health system which was established by the Commonwealth Government. Each state and territory will implement their own local version of the RTPM system by their respective state and territory health instrumentalities. There will be core features and functionality to enable national consistency. The need for such […]

Recently, we published an article outlining the dos and don’ts of COVID-19 vaccine promotion. Our Insight summarises how vaccine providers and other parties can lawfully provide information about and promote COVID-19 vaccines. The promotion of vaccines and health services generally, across a variety of communication mediums, is regulated by advertising laws. Social media in particular, […]

Many pharmacists go into business with trusted friends or colleagues, and with a strong common vision for their business. In many cases, the pharmacy will run smoothly and the owners will simply agree on the many decisions that need to be made in the day to day running of the business. Despite this, we always […]

Professional Services Review (PSR) is a Commonwealth Agency whose objective is to protect the integrity of the Commonwealth Medicare benefits, dental benefits and pharmaceutical benefits programs and, in doing so, protect patients and the community from the risks associated with ‘inappropriate practice’, and protect the Commonwealth from having to meet the cost of medical and […]

A reminder to pharmacy proprietors of their key responsibilities Meridian Lawyers regularly assists a range of healthcare professionals to understand the legal and professional obligations that attach to their particular profession. Recently, in NSW, we have assisted a number of proprietor pharmacists who have come under close scrutiny by the Pharmacy Council of NSW following […]

The need to relocate an existing pharmacy can arise for a variety of reasons. Meridian has recently advised pharmacies moving within the same shopping centre (for example, to take advantage of a larger sized shop), and a pharmacy in a medical centre moving to a new location along with the medical practice. While moving from […]

As part of the national health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Government has rolled out new temporary Medicare Benefit Scheme (MBS) ‘telehealth’ items.  The purpose of these item numbers is to enable patients to receive essential health care during the pandemic whilst reducing the community transmission of COVID-19.  At this stage, the item […]

Most registered health practitioners are aware of the obligation to notify the National Board of certain events should they occur.  These requirements are set out in section 130 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (the “National Law”).  However, we have recently seen an ‘uptick’ in the number of disciplinary decisions which have […]

Professional services rooms are defined in Schedule 5F of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW) (National Law) as “premises in or on which a person carries on a pharmacy business that involves only – the preparation and packaging of drugs, or the packaging of drugs, by or under the personal supervision of a pharmacist, […]

The Privacy (Australian Bushfires Disaster) Emergency Declaration (No 1) 2020 came into force on 20 January 2020 in response to bushfires in Australia resulting in death, injury and property damage occurring from August 2019 into 2020. The Emergency Declaration will expire on 20 January 2021. The Emergency Declaration was made under Part VIA of Privacy […]