Sydney Morning Herald
March 22 2015

Parents of sick children will be spared the midnight drive west to reach the only 24-hour chemist in Sydney, under a Labor pledge to open all-hours pharmacies in the south, north and inner Sydney.   :)

The Pharmacy Guild's NSW director, Steven Waller, said it was "unusual for a city the size of Sydney" to have only one 24-hour pharmacy, in the outer western suburb of Wetherill Park, and it was a gap that needed to be filled.

Labor's health spokesman Walt Secord said a NSW Labor government would provide $3 million for a trial to assist three pharmacies open 24-hours, with likely sites in Chatswood, Glebe and south-west Sydney.

The funding would support wages for a pharmacist, assistant and a security guard for three years at each site.


"Every parent knows the frustration of  needing to fill a prescription for a child at 2am and not being able to get to a pharmacy," said Mr Secord.   :(

"Every parent also knows the frustration of getting a prescription after visiting an emergency department - and then not being able to find a pharmacy to get it filled."

Labor said the 24-hour pharmacies would reduce the pressure on hospital emergency rooms.   :)

John Bronger decided to trade all hours at his Wetherill Park Chemist Works after a customer said she wished he had been open when her child became seriously ill and was taken to hospital.

Customers drive from as far as the eastern suburbs and the Hills district, he says, while the chemists also give out late night phone advice on fevers.

"It's stuff for their babies; it's recommendations. There are diabetics who run out of medication. We have massive amounts of insulin," he says.

The customer type changes as clock hand moves from dusk to dawn. Mr Bronger describes Wetherill Park as the "engine room of Sydney".

"We are in an industrial area, so there are a lot of shift workers here. It is multicultural, with a lot of hospitality workers and people who own restaurants all over Sydney. They come home from work late at night," he says.

From 4am, the tradies hit the road. "Electricians and refrigerator mechanics are on their way to the city and have to get in before the traffic," he says.

Next are the dog walkers.

The nearby Fairfield Hospital sends people who require dressings, crutches or medication. Hospitals in Penrith, Westmead and Blacktown will also send patients.

"There's no whoopee money in it. Its' a hard slog," he admits.

"We have quite a few young pharmacists who are insomniacs. They studied through the night and haven't lost the habit. They like the variety. You don't know what the next home call will be."

The Bronger's advertised on radio and told local hospitals and doctors, to alert people they were open, and the business has slowly built.

The Pharmacy Guild has welcomed the pledge of $3 million in funding assistance over three years for the three pharmacies that win a tender to operate 24-hours, to help them establish a 24-hour business model.

"I think there will be no shortage of interest from our members," said Mr Waller.

"Visits to emergency rooms in NSW hospitals have increased over the last five years and often the sorts of presentations in ER can be treated quite easily in a primary health sense by another health professional," he said.

Mr Secord said NSW Labor was responding to the changing health needs of Australians and "stepping outside the square".

i can't believe a city the size of Sydney only has ONE 24 hr pharmacy  :o :o

illegal drugs you can buy 24hrs a day 7 days a week, legal drugs you can't ... go figure

John Smith wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:35am:

i can't believe a city the size of Sydney only has ONE 24 hr pharmacy  :o :o illegal drugs you can buy 24hrs a day 7 days a week, legal drugs you can't ... go figure

I must admit I was surprised there wasn't more than one 24/7 pharmacy in Sydney.

every public hospital with an emergency dept. should have a 24 hr pharmacy attached.

John Smith wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:39am:

every public hospital with an emergency dept. should have a 24 hr pharmacy attached.

I agreed at first with your idea, but then upon thinking about it, decided I disagree. Why? Because then you'd get every man and his dog turning up at ER's clogging up waiting rooms to get a script for the chemist. As if waiting times at ER's isn't already long enough, right? No, the better idea is more 24hr medical centres located near 24hr chemists. That won't mean a rush on ER's and people will still be able to get help when they need it.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:51am:

John Smith wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 7:39am: every public hospital with an emergency dept. should have a 24 hr pharmacy attached. I agreed at first with your idea, but then upon thinking about it, decided I disagree. Why? Because then you'd get every man and his dog turning up at ER's clogging up waiting rooms to get a script for the chemist. As if waiting times at ER's isn't already long enough, right? No, the better idea is more 24hr medical centres located near 24hr chemists. That won't mean a rush on ER's and people will still be able to get help when they need it.

what have waiting rooms to do with it? keep the pharmacy and the ER separate or put a service window to the outside so people don't even need to go into the hospital to fill their scripts.

Hospitals already have pharmacies, they're just not open to the public. With minimal rearranging it fixes a problem that the community faces

John Smith wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:39am:

every public hospital with an emergency dept. should have a 24 hr pharmacy attached.

and that is a far better solution.  Pharmacies aren't 24/7 for reasons that they aren't viable.  Hospitals however are already 24/7 and having a pharmacy there makes sense. PLus it puts the loss-making venture onto the govt instead of expecting private companies to bear the loss.

But I am surprised the IMFULLOFIT isn't already demanding penalty rates.  And perhaps after-hours surcharges on prescriptions?????

longweekend58 wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:55am:

John Smith wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 7:39am: every public hospital with an emergency dept. should have a 24 hr pharmacy attached. and that is a far better solution.  Pharmacies aren't 24/7 for reasons that they aren't viable.  Hospitals however are already 24/7 and having a pharmacy there makes sense. PLus it puts the loss-making venture onto the govt instead of expecting private companies to bear the loss. But I am surprised the IMFULLOFIT isn't already demanding penalty rates.  And perhaps after-hours surcharges on prescriptions?????

It would be better to have a medical centre or after hours GP on duty at a different section of an ER, with a group of RN's triaging people as they come in. Those requiring specialised care going into the ER and those requiring a simple GP visit going to the after hours clinic. Having the chemist open there 24/7 would then be a feasible option. Otherwise you'd just have people choking up ER waiting rooms even more than they do already for ailments that can usually be dealt with the next business day.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:59am:

after hours GP on duty at a different section of an ER,

should have been done years ago

Of course I support penalty rates, for people that work weekends and public holidays.   :(      

wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 8:07am:

Of course I support penalty rates, for people that work weekends and public holidays.   :(

longie will do all the night shifts and weekend work for no extra charge

wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 8:07am:

Of course I support penalty rates, for people that work weekends and public holidays.   :(

If people work weekends as part of a 5 day structure and take off other 2 days, then they should be paid normal labour hour rate.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:37am:

John Smith wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 7:35am: i can't believe a city the size of Sydney only has ONE 24 hr pharmacy  :o :o illegal drugs you can buy 24hrs a day 7 days a week, legal drugs you can't ... go figure I must admit I was surprised there wasn't more than one 24/7 pharmacy in Sydney.

There used to be one in Crow's Nest and another in Chatswood....many many years ago

If people work weekends as part of a 5 day structure, they should get paid three normal days pay.  Then penalty rates for working the Saturday and Sunday.     :(

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 8:49am:

wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 8:07am: Of course I support penalty rates, for people that work weekends and public holidays.   :(       If people work weekends as part of a 5 day structure and take off other 2 days, then they should be paid normal labour hour rate.

::)

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 7:37am:

John Smith wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 7:35am: i can't believe a city the size of Sydney only has ONE 24 hr pharmacy  :o :o illegal drugs you can buy 24hrs a day 7 days a week, legal drugs you can't ... go figure I must admit I was surprised there wasn't more than one 24/7 pharmacy in Sydney.

How many are there in the whole of NSW?

Bam wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2015 at 9:39am:

Armchair_Politician wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 7:37am: John Smith wrote on Mar 22nd, 2015 at 7:35am: i can't believe a city the size of Sydney only has ONE 24 hr pharmacy  :o :o illegal drugs you can buy 24hrs a day 7 days a week, legal drugs you can't ... go figure I must admit I was surprised there wasn't more than one 24/7 pharmacy in Sydney. How many are there in the whole of NSW?

I know of 2 in Wollongong ... or at least there were before I moved away. One in the CBD and one in Windang.