From September 1, Australians with a chronic condition will benefit from cheaper medicines on around 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) under the first stage of the Albanese Government’s new 60-day dispensing policy.
The list of medicines in stage one has today been confirmed, with the legislative instrument to enable the policy change registered on the Federal Register of Legislation, ahead of being tabled in the Senate next month.
This first stage includes 92 medicines for a wide range of conditions, including:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Gout
- Heart failure
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Osteoporosis
- Ulcerative colitis.
The change means patients living with a chronic, stable condition will be able to buy two months’ worth of these medicines for the price of a single prescription, rather than the current 30-day supply.
People with a Medicare card buying just one of these medicines will save up to $180 every year. Concession card holders will save $43.80 a year for each eligible medicine.
The change to 60-day dispensing was first recommended by the independent experts at the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) back in 2018, but was never implemented by the former government, costing Australians hundreds of millions. The PBAC reaffirmed and expanded its recommendation in 2022.
The full list of medicines recommended for longer dispensing intervals will include more than 300 common medicines and will be implemented in three stages over 12 months, starting 1 September 2023.
When fully implemented, at least 6 million Australians will halve their medicine costs and need fewer visits to the GP to get the medicines they use the most, easing the cost of living and putting millions back into the pockets of Australian patients.
The decision to write a script with two months’ worth of medicine will be made by a patient’s GP or other prescriber, based on their professional clinical judgement. The option to prescribe a one month supply remains.
The new arrangements are supported by consumers, including the Consumer Health Forum, the Heart Foundation, the Lung Foundation, Breast Cancer Network, and by all major doctors’ associations, including the Rural Doctors Association, Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, among others.
Every single dollar saved by the Government from lower dispensing fees will go back into pharmacy services. More than $1.2 billion will be re-invested into expanded services such as vaccinations, medication safety, and support for opioid dependent patients, and increased financial support to pharmacies in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Community pharmacists will be financially supported to deliver more advanced clinical services, so they can play an even more central role in the healthcare of Australians.
The Albanese Government will continue to consult with the pharmacy sector over the implementation of 60-day dispensing.
The full list of medicines in stage one of the changes is available here.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“Every year, nearly a million Australians are forced to delay or go without a medicine that their doctor has told them is necessary for their health.
“The Government is delivering cheaper medicines through 60 day dispensing for more than 6 million Australians. This will halve the cost of medicines for millions of Australians, including pensioners, who are living with a chronic condition.
“The Government continues to work with all parts of the pharmacy sector on the implementation of this policy.
“Australian pharmacies already do much more than just dispense medicine and the Government is supporting our trusted pharmacists to play an even bigger role in the healthcare of Australians.”
