Pharmacy Daily | Federal Budget delivers billions for health

WHILE short on surprises, the 2025-26 Budget's pharmacy and medicines spending pledges have been broadly welcomed.

There is funding over six years to improve access to medicines and trial an expansion to the range of services that can be delivered by community pharmacies.

This includes $539.4 million over five years to establish the First Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Agreement to ensure medicines remain accessible across all parts of Australia, and $10 million in 2027--28 to review wholesaling arrangements to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

There is also $109.1 million pledged over four years to support two pharmacy trials that aim to give women greater access to contraceptives and uncomplicated urinary tract infections, included in the $573 million investment in women's health initiatives announced in Feb (PD 10 Feb).

The $25 prescription co-payment, set to cost $784.6 million over four years, was announced last week.

The Government has also pledged $13.2 million over four years for the Return Unwanted Medicines program and $5.7 million in 2025-26 to extend funding to ensure sustainability of Australia's electronic prescribing infrastructure.

It has committed $188 million for tackling illicit tobacco and associated nicotine products, and $1.5 million in 2025--26 to extend funding for the National Best Practice Support Service for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation (Quit Centre) to provide health professionals with information on smoking and vaping cessation.

The PSA has welcomed the Federal Government's $1 million investment in the further development of the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists, reflecting evolving practice and supporting pharmacists as new ethical paradigms arise.

PSA National President Associate Professor Fei Sim said the work will "ensure pharmacists are supported to practise to their full scope".

The Government will provide $1.8 billion over five years from 2024--25 for new and amended listings on the PBS, flagging drugs for cancers, arthritis and women's health, as well as funding for the Take Home Naloxone program.

While welcoming the $8.5 billion investment to strengthen Medicare, National Rural Health Association Chief Executive Susi Tegen pointed out it mostly benefits city-based and corporate practices.

"We call on the government to commit to ongoing Medicare reform, flexibility in funding and policy for thin and failing markets," Tegen said, adding that it will ensure "all rural healthcare providers including general practice, pharmacy and allied health services are able to sustain their multidisciplinary practices to meet population health needs". KB