My third point is that pharmacy as a profession is fiercely independent by tradition and pharmacists would not, en masse, accept commercial constraints on their professional advice. The men and women who graduate as pharmacists join a profession which has fought long and hard to retain professional ownership, precisely to ensure the independence of the advice and service they offer their customers. This has been acknowledged by state and federal government which have legislated to preserve pharmacy's independence as being in the best interests of the community. Point number four. The greater proportion of a pharmacy's business comes from dispensing prescription medications for patients.
Doctors prescribe the medication for patients.
Pharmacists dispense the medication doctors request and advise patients about its use and effects. In any case they are required to do so by the various Pharmacy Boards. It's are to go into a pharmacy and find a medication is not readily available. Pharmacists are not at liberty to substitute medications on a prescription. If one is available, a lower-cost alternative product deemed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration to be therapeutically equivalent can be offered to the patient, and then only when the doctor has signified assent and with the patient's permission.