Pharmacy Daily | CHF safety net changes

THE Consumers Health Forum has urged the government to reform the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme safety net, so consumers with high usage of PBS medicines can smooth out their annual co-payments.

The initiative is contained in the Forum's submission for the 2017-18 Federal Budget, along with a call to withdraw a proposed one-off increase in PBS co-payments and increases in the safety net thresholds.

"Pharmacy is a key element in the strong and sustainable primary healthcare system that Australian needs," the CHF submission states.

"CHF supports the strengthening of this crucial sector through the removal of the PBS co-payment increase, the development of a new health payment system and through the reform of the PBS safety net," it adds.

The organisation also said it formally supports "the integration of primary care services delivered by pharmacists and in the community pharmacy setting, being integrated with other reforms such as local services commissioned by Primary Health Networks and Health Care Homes".

If co-payments are able to be smoothed, this will help high PBS medicine users to reduce their uncertainty and ill-health by ensuring continued medication.

"This issue is raised consistently by consumers, particularly those on low and fixed incomes who sometimes struggle to afford even the concessional co-payment," the Forum said.

The CHF also welcomed the ongoing modernisation of IT systems supporting the health, aged care and related veterans' payments services, which is expected to address existing long waiting times and complex processes.

"We suggest that this payment system includes the capacity to administer the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule safety net electronically," the CHF said.

"The current system of paper records being held by one pharmacy places an unnecessary level of stress and burden on consumers," the Forum added.