THE Closing the Gap (CTG) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Co-Payment Program, implemented in 2010, has boosted prescription medication use and reduced out-of-pocket spending among Indigenous Australians, according to research published in JAMA Health Forum.
The policy was initially applied to First Nations people with chronic diseases, but was extended to nearly all Indigenous Australians in 2020, and reduced prescription co-payments from $33.30 to $5.40 for general patients and no cost for those with concessional status.
Program uptake increased from 24% in 2012 to 68% in 2022, with higher uptake among concessional patients.
The annual number of scripts accessed per person increased from an average of 16.7 in 2012 to 23.1 in 2022, while average annual out-of-pocket costs declined from $144 to $109.
"These results suggest modest progress in reducing inequities in access," the researchers concluded - read the study HERE.
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