LEADING health and community voices including the Pharmacy Guild of Australia are calling for bipartisan support to reduce the maximum out-of-pocket cost of prescription medicine to $19.
Other organisations include the Australian Patients Association, Asthma Australia, Family Planning Alliance Australia, QENDO, Australian Association for Adolescent Health, Wounds Australia, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and Advanced Pharmacy Australia.
Reducing the cost of medicine for all Australians will ease the cost burden on people struggling to afford essential medicines, striking a balance between affordability for patients and sustainability for taxpayers, saving Australians $440 million in the first year through better managedconditions.
"Affordable, accessible medicines are key to a healthier population, and pharmacists are united in advocating for more affordable medicines for all Australians, making sure that everyone can access the medicines they need when they need them," said PSA National President A/Prof Fei Sim.
"Reducing the patient co-pay will make care more accessible, reducing the financial burden on families, and ensuring that no one has to choose between their health and their hip pocket."
AdPha President Tom Simpson said that the bipartisan support for expanding bulk billing is a great step forward, but pointed out that if the cost of medicines is not addressed, more people will continue to end up in hospitals.
"Currently, 250,000 Australians are admitted to hospitals each year due to medication-related issues, some of which can be linked to the cost of medicines," he said.
"If we truly want to reduce hospital admissions, people shouldn't also have to worry about their bank balance when purchasing essential medicines." KB
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