THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia and Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) have congratulated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Labor on their re-election.
"The Guild welcomed the focus on health in the campaign with historic investments in Medicare and cheaper medicines," Guild National President Professor Trent Twomey said.
Referring to the commitment to cutting the PBS general co-payment from $31.60 to $25, taking effect from 01 Jan 2026, Professor Twomey noted the change will benefit more than 20 million Australians who do not hold a concession card.
"Over four years, this puts $689 million back in the pockets of patients," he said.
Professor Twomey said Labor's policy to inject a record investment of $8.5 billion in Medicare will significantly build on Australia's health system which is "already the envy of the world".
"Cheaper medicines and free GP consultations can only mean better health outcomes for more Australians," Twomey said.
"We also look forward to continuing to work with the Albanese Government to build on its reforms to expanding Australian women's access to the frontline health services they depend on, such as contraception and menopause management."
AdPha President Tom Simpson also welcomed Labor's renewed commitments to Medicare through cheaper medicines, stronger bulk billing, and increased public hospital funding, but urged the government to go further.
"To truly relieve pressure on overcrowded hospitals and emergency departments, we must urgently invest in the hospital pharmacy workforce and support new, evidence-based models of care," Simpson said.
"The forthcoming Pharmacy Programs Agreement must champion innovative, multidisciplinary care to ensure Australians can access high-quality pharmacy services wherever medicines are needed - whether in hospitals, aged care, general practice or community settings."
AdPha also called for stronger investment in health and pharmacy workforce capacity to meet growing demand and manage the complexity of new medicines entering the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), pointing out that the majority of new PBS medicines are used in acute or specialist settings. KB
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