Dubbo pharmacist Kaail Bohm joins his fellow pharmacists' call rejecting PBS changes to 60 days prescriptions.

Mr Bohm is speaking up as he joined the call by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) rejecting the federal government's plan to change prescription regulations under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

The government's plan to allow 60-day prescriptions is contained in the soon-to-be-released 2023-2024 budget which the PGA is aware of, Mr Bohm said.

The Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners have proposed the prescription frequency system from one to two months in one single script but only "if deemed safe by a doctor" to save on dispensing fees which last financial year cost $1.67 billion.

Mr Bohm said PGA president Trent Twomey wrote to pharmacists last week to urge them to help stop the PBS plan for 60-day prescriptions because it would trigger shortages and misuse of critical medications Australians need.

"If they allow patients to get prescriptions for two months at a time, the potential for harm is huge on those taking anti-psychotic and anti-depressants," Mr Bohm said.

"These changes mean patients with severe mental health problems will have less contact with their doctors and pharmacists so the potential for harm is huge.

"It will mean they are allowing double dosing so the potential harm for those not in their best mental health state is critical.

"The so-called wonder drug for diabetes, Ozempic, which is also being used for weight loss can be in shortage as it is now."

Anti-depressants and diabetes medicines are most commonly used among patients in this region, Mr Bohm said.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has listed at least 396 medications in shortage in Australia, 76 are in critical shortage, and information is available online for concerned consumers and health professionals on what they could do.

The TGA has listed on its website that Ozempic has been in critical shortage since last year, including Penicillin V, Warfarin, Hydrocortisone and Trulicity.

"We believe it's a bad idea because patients are not saving money on medications because they still pay the whole lot in one go," Mr Bohm said.

"It is reasonable for the government to try and find ways to save money because we should be saving money, but patients will be out of pocket even if they buy prescriptions just once a month, it's only for convenience.

"Medications that have been cancelled by doctors [during the two-month prescription period] will be thrown away and changing brands will be confusing for patients."

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Patients who need more than a month's worth of medications are allowed to purchase them under the current system if they are travelling overseas or staying in areas where those medicines they need are not available, Mr Bohm said.

Patients who access the PBS are given a $7.30 co-contribution from the government, while those who are not pensioners get $30 assistance on PBS-listed medicines, Mr Bohm said.

"With a huge list of medications in shortage now, the impact will be felt across the board particularly for medications to lower blood pressure, cancer medicines, and others listed on a critical shortfall," he said.

"A blanket rule allowing people to get medications for two months is too risky. The government should come to the negotiation table with pharmacists to look at other money-saving ways."

The country's pharmacists are also seeking to reduce the prices of medications as the high inflation rate continues to drive prices up on basic medications.

Health minister Mark Butler said the changes were estimated to save the government $1.2 billion over the next four years, with that money to be reinvested into community pharmacy health programs.

"This is not going to change the number of tablets dispensed in a given period of time, it's simply going to mean that people can get two boxes at a time instead of having to get one box and come back twice as often," he said in Canberra on Wednesday.

"I really would caution against some of the scare campaigns being put by the pharmacy lobby group."

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