COVID-19 New Information/Update

Page last updated on 14 May 2020.

The Guild is receiving direct briefings from the Australian Government of Health and the Chief Medical Officer in regard to Coronavirus (COVID-19).

As a result this micro-site will be updated on a regular basis with resources and information as it comes to hand.

For queries or concerns regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your pharmacy, please contact your branch or email: 
covid-19@guild.org.au

We will continue to update you as we receive information and please don’t hesitate to call the Guild on 13 GUILD (13 48 453).

The Australian Government has set up a Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080.  Please call this line if you are seeking information on this virus. For the latest resources, please view at Department of Health - Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources.

PBS approvals and pharmacy closures

While it is preferable that pharmacies remain open during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure the community has ongoing access to PBS medicines, the Department of Health says it does not intend to cancel approvals if pharmacies need to close.

If pharmacies need to close for more than a couple of days as a result of COVID-19 related reasons they are asked to email the department at pbsapprovedsuppliers@health.gov.au with:

• their approval number and location
• the reason they need to close and their intended period of closure
• details of how the community will access medicines during that period.

Pharmacies that need to significantly reduce trading hours are asked to supply the same information and the department will then work with the individual pharmacies to determine if a formal deactivation is appropriate.

This information will assist the department to determine risks to ongoing access to PBS medicines by the community and enable the department to take any action necessary to mitigate such risks.