Wesfarmers Health

Help determine the future of the Sisterhood Foundation

Our Sisterhood Foundation is furthering its purpose to hear, acknowledge and address the unique health issues impacting Australian women and girls by partnering with Monash Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

Monash University is surveying women and girls (aged 16 years or older) to identify the health conditions and social issues preventing women and girls from living healthy lives in Australia. The insights gathered will help guide the Sisterhood Foundation in prioritising meaningful support and crafting initiatives that truly matter to the lives of Australians. 

We encourage all women/girls over the age of 16 to complete the short, anonymous survey. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete and is available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Punjabi. The survey will close on Friday 28 February 2025. 

Over the last 13 years, the Sisterhood Foundation (formerly known as the Priceline Sisterhood Foundation) has raised over $10 million and has supported a number of charities that help women and their families across Australia. 

The Sisterhood Foundation has eight strategically aligned charity partners that champion a range of health and wellbeing causes including Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, Smiling Mind, Her Heart, Share the Dignity, Fitted for Work, SisterWorks, Motherless Daughters and Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA). 

NPSA reaches agreement with Government to secure the national PBS medicine supply chain

NPSA has welcomed a five-year agreement with the Commonwealth Government that will enable
ongoing timely and equitable distribution of PBS medicines to patients throughout Australia.

NPSA has welcomed a five-year agreement with the Commonwealth Government that will enable
ongoing timely and equitable distribution of PBS medicines to patients throughout Australia.

The first Pharmaceutical Wholesaler Agreement (1PWA) is an agreement between the government
and NPSA – the peak industry body representing full-line Community Service Obligation (CSO)
medicine wholesalers. It addresses significant erosion of supply chain funding and means that
Australians will continue to receive the uninterrupted medicine distribution service they have come to
rely on.

The partnership between the Commonwealth and the CSO medicine wholesaler industry was
established more than 20 years ago and underpins the ongoing reliability of the PBS, supporting the
Commonwealth’s promise of equity of access to all Australians set out in the National Medicines
Policy.

NPSA Chair Richard Vincent said, “We are extremely pleased to have finalised this five-year
agreement which secures medicine management and distribution and benefits all Australians. The
1PWA will enable available medicines, whether they be everyday tablets, high care specialised
therapies or cold chain products to be carefully managed and distributed reliably to patients, no matter
where they live.

“As climate-related disasters increase, our role is of heightened importance in reaching impacted
communities during emergencies such as cyclone, flood or bushfire.

“Through our commitment to the CSO, we are proud to provide 24-hour service to Australia’s 5900
community pharmacies, in the suburbs of our major cities and in rural and remote locations. With the
benefit of this agreement, we look forward to supporting government health initiatives and pharmacy’s
wider role in providing healthcare services to patients.”

Devoted to the healthcare sector, NPSA members API (Australian Pharmaceutical Industries), NPD
(National Pharmacies Distribution), Sigma Healthcare and Symbion employ more than 3,400 people
and operate a network of national distribution centres that safely distributes more than 316 million
units of prescription medicines into community pharmacies each year and more than 2 million units of
health-related products each day.

1PWA is a direct agreement between the government and NPSA and each CSO wholesaler will have
its own supporting agreement, reflecting the terms of the 1PWA. Previously, funding for medicine
distribution formed part of the Community Pharmacy Agreements with government.

1PWA represents a new level of collaboration with government to deliver for patients and the NPSA
sincerely thanks the Minister for Health and Aged Care, The Honourable Mark Butler, his team and
department for their work in finalising the agreement.

Wesfarmers Health launches pilot retail format – atomica

Wesfarmers Health has launched a new beauty and wellness pilot concept store atomica designed for beauty enthusiasts in Castle Towers, Sydney.

Wesfarmers Health Retail Director Richard Pearson said, “We saw a gap in the market for an affordable and accessible beauty-focused retail proposition that delivers an inspirational in-store experience featuring coveted international brands and locally-loved Australian brands. 

“At atomica our focus is on inspiring customers with affordable ways to invest in their beauty and wellness. atomica sits between high-end beauty specialist stores and a convenience grocery offer. Harnessing inclusivity is a core value of atomica and judging by initial feedback, we have started the journey of delivering a retail format that we know Australians will love,” said Richard. 

The inaugural store opened with fanfare featuring viral skincare sensation Bubble Skincare and Korean skincare brand INNISFREE sitting alongside established brands like The Ordinary, La Roche-Posay and CeraVe. Beauty enthusiasts were also excited to see brands including Pixi, Clinique, Conserving Beauty, Hairification, e.l.f and Milani gracing the shelves.  

atomica also has dedicated ‘Glow Advisors’ whose role is to assist customers with tailored beauty advice and in-store services, including a cutting-edge skin scanning service, makeup applications and lash applications.  

This atomica Castle Towers store was previously a Priceline, without a pharmacy offer. The conversion to atomica is the first step in a planned expansion to other parts of Australia in 2025. Australia’s largest health and beauty loyalty program – Sister Club – will be integrated in time where shoppers can earn perks and privileges from all three retail formats: atomica, Priceline and Priceline Pharmacy.

Statement from Emily Amos, Managing Director, Wesfarmers Health regarding Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) decision on Sigma / Chemist Warehouse merger

Wesfarmers Health notes today’s decision by the ACCC that it will not oppose the Chemist Warehouse / Sigma merger.

The Chemist Warehouse / Sigma merger represents a different operating model for retail pharmacy in Australia.

Through complex ownership structures and transactions, Chemist Warehouse has been able to navigate certain key aspects of pharmacy regulation to enable a level of corporatisation in the sector, which will only increase as a result of the merger.

The new, merged entity will have retail pharmacy sales which are three times those of its closest competitor. It is already a very substantial participant in the industry and over time, we expect that the merger is likely to bring change to the community pharmacy sector.

We know that community pharmacies are an important source of advice and healthcare for Australian patients.

API and Priceline Pharmacy remain committed to supporting community pharmacy and franchise partners to innovate and succeed in this different environment, and to make healthcare more accessible and affordable, for all Australians.

Priceline Pharmacy will continue to enhance its market-leading retail offer in support of its franchisees, helping them evolve and strengthen their businesses.