Media Release

Date: Tuesday 4 March, 2003
Subject: Chemist shops have the shortest opening hours

The current argument for deregulation of pharmacy ownership is about improving the benefits to consumers - which can only be achieved by removing what will be the last retail monopoly in New Zealand, said New Zealand Retailers today.

Chemist shops have some of the shortest operating hours in retail according to information presented to the Health Select Committee by the Association yesterday.

"The survey of chemist shop hours shows why the Ministry of Health and the Government are concerned about people's access to prescription and pharmacy-only medicines," said New Zealand Retailers' Chief Executive John Albertson.

"When you have a monopoly you expect to see short opening hours and high prices and that's exactly what you get with the current situation, where only pharmacists can own chemist shops.

"When we looked at supermarket opening hours and compared these with chemist shops in the same area we found that supermarkets were open for 101.5 hours per week on average and chemists shops were open 55.1 hour per week on average.

"In some areas the differences were even more marked.

"Chemists have been using fear tactics saying that if their monopoly is ended communities would lose services, but this survey shows that the most likely impact is that access would be improved if supermarkets where able to operate a pharmacy within their supermarket, employing registered pharmacists to dispense prescriptions and provide advice."

"Under the current regime consumers' choice is being limited," said Mr Albertson.

About the Health Professionals' Competency Assurance Bill

At present only a pharmacist can own a chemist shop, with a minimum 75% ownership requirement.  The Health Professionals' Competency Assurance Bill before the House would retain this monopoly (with a minimum 51% ownership requirement), though it would end the only other retail ownership monopoly, which is currently held by optometrists.  Optometrists support the ending of their monopoly, while the Pharmacy Guild, which represents chemist shop owners, is fighting to retain chemists' monopoly.

Ending the monopoly would allow someone other than a pharmacist to own a chemist shop, but would not change who could dispense drugs (that could only be done by a registered pharmacist).  If a pharmacy was owned and operated by a supermarket or department store it would be a 'store within a store' employing qualified pharmacists.   Standards would be assured through the training and registration requirements applying to pharmacists (which are similar to those of other health professionals), and through the requirement that all pharmacies be registered.

(Note to editors: Fact sheets are available for background on the current law and what is proposed.)