Fuel shortages pose emerging risks for pharmacy

As fuel costs climb and shortages loom, community pharmacies are facing mounting uncertainty on supply chains, workforce mobility, and equitable patient access.

Fuel shortages and escalating petrol costs are emerging as a significant disruptor for Australian workforces – including pharmacists, with exposure to the downstream impacts  potentially affecting medicines delivery, patient access to care and workforce logistics.

Ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East stemming from the US-Israel war with Iran have taken the shape of catastrophic implications, driving global energy instability, including exacerbated cost-of-living effects, leaving essential sectors in vulnerable positions.

AP looks at the potential impacts on pharmacists and patients.

Workforce pain and travel relief

Workforce mobility may be constrained as rising fuel shortages complicate staff travel. While some jurisdictions are offering relief, others are holding firm. 

Tasmania has announced that public transport will be free for the next 3 months, saving commuters between $20 and $88 per week. 

In Victoria, all public transport will be free until after April. ‘This is a temporary measure to help with the cost of living; it will take pressure off the pump and help you save,’ Premier Jacinta Allan stated.

However, public transport is usually not a straightforward option for much of the pharmacy workforce due to after-hours shifts, indirect public transport options or family commitments. And in regional and remote areas, commuter public transport is usually non-existent.

Supply and delivery of medicines

Vital delivery providers, including Australia Post and StarTrack, have already increased surcharges – signaling the beginning of broader cost increases. For community pharmacies, this is likely to increase the price of medicines delivery and postage costs for consumers.

Liz de Somer, CEO of Medicines Australia said, ‘The fact that Australia is in a difficult geographical location presents some challenges. As we know, medicines are part of our national security, so it is having an impact on the industry’s costs and an ability to bring medicines to Australia, however … they’re doing everything in their power to ensure the supplies are available.’ 

Ryan Collins, Operations Manager at OTC distributor Be Med told AP, reflecting that wholesalers are, ‘already feeling the pressure through higher freight charges and fuel levies, which are starting to squeeze margins’.

‘If oil prices keep climbing, we expect suppliers to pass on cost increases, meaning higher landed costs for us. There’s also concern around longer lead times if transport capacity tightens,’ he said.

Price increases are also significantly impacting delivery schedules, meaning pharmacists might need to consider how and when they order medicines.

‘Although deliveries are still running, we’re seeing less flexibility from carriers,’ Mr Collins  told AP.

‘Some routes are being consolidated, and delivery windows are getting tighter. We’re preparing for potential reductions in frequency if costs continue to rise. 

‘We’re [also] starting to notice more cautious ordering from customers, with some stocking up earlier to avoid future price increases. We expect availability to become less predictable if conditions worsen.’

In terms of equity, Mr Collins said that regional areas are more exposed. 

‘Freight costs are higher, and service levels are more likely to be affected. We’re managing this by planning orders more carefully, encouraging earlier ordering, and trying to consolidate deliveries where possible to keep costs down,’ he said.

‘We’re already having to pass on freight costs from 1 April, as they’ve become impossible for us to absorb. Beyond that, we’re looking at increasing safety stock on key lines, reviewing supplier options, and prioritising essential products.’

Impacts on medicines review services

Fuel pressures are also placing stress on Home Medicines Review (HMR) services, potentially placing vulnerable patients at risk, which would flow directly down the line to pressures on our hospital system.

These challenges are felt acutely in regional areas where long travel distances are commonplace, and staff-mobility is restricted for essential at-home services, which poses challenges for  equity and continuity of care. 

The PSA has called for greater access to services to ensure patients receive care and pharmacists are able to deliver services to patients who are unable to travel, enhancing access for those in a compromised position.

‘We need to see some [changes] in service delivery, such as bringing back telehealth,’ PSA’s Head of Policy and Strategy Chris Campbell FPS said.

PSA National President Professor Mark Naunton MPS agreed, emphasising that patients need and deserve timely, trusted care. ‘That is our highest priority. We can’t have patients languishing or, worst case, dying on waiting lists. Telehealth solves this instantly,’ he said.

‘Telehealth is one of the most equitable measures we have to deliver HMRs to Australians no matter where they live. It ensures that someone in a regional or remote community or even in a metropolitan area is not penalised simply because of their postcode.

Telehealth also keeps pharmacists safe by eliminating the need for them to drive long distances, especially during the current petrol crisis, Prof Naunton said.

‘Pharmacists in regional areas know this better than most, we have real workforce issues to contend with and telehealth is an excellent option that does not compromise patient wellbeing,’ he said.

‘We are clearly in a petrol-related crisis now that is bringing its own immediate pressures but as pharmacists we are regularly dealing with problems accessing patients, be it natural disasters like flooding or bushfires to questions of road access and safety.’

PSA’s 2026–27 Federal Budget Submission, released 25 February 2026, identifies reform of HMRs, including telehealth flexibility, as a priority under the First Pharmacy Programs Reform Package.