More scripts, less spending
December 10, 2015
Spending growth on
pharmaceuticals in Australia has
slowed despite an increasing
number of prescriptions dispensed,
according to a new Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare
report released this morning.
The Health Expenditure 2013-14
analysis breaks down spending by
sector, and shows $58.8 billion in
recurrent spending on hospitals,
$54.7 billion on primary health
care, and $32 billion on “other
health goods and services”.
During 2013-14 the growth in
“benefit-paid pharmaceuticals” was
just 1% in real terms, compared
with a 6.3% increase in the number
of prescriptions dispensed - the
highest in the previous ten years.
“This suggests that slower growth
in both government and non-government
spending in this area
did not mean fewer services were
delivered,” said AIHW spokesman
Adrian Webster.
Between 2004 and 2014 the
number of prescriptions dispensed
rose 26.6%, the report says, with
other interesting figures including
the revelation that spending on “all
other medications” which includes
OTC pharmaceuticals, private
scripts and under-copayment
medications was $9.7 billion,
almost all of which was paid for by
individuals out-of-pocket.
Benefit-paid pharmaceuticals
accounted for $10.1b in spending,
of which $8.5b was govt-funded.
To view the full report online see
www.aihw.gov.au.
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