Letter to the Editor
August 25, 2014
PHARMACEUTICAL Society of
Australia ceo Dr Lance Emerson
has written this Letter to the Editor
regarding the PBS co-payment:
Evidence given by health
department officials to the Senate
committee this week that raising
the costs of medicines will not
deter consumers from having their
prescriptions filled is disingenuous
at best and misleading at worst.
The Senate is inquiring into
proposals to raise fees for
drugs subsidised under the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,
a move aimed to save $1.3 billion
over four years.
Under the plan, fees for PBS
medicines will rise by $5 a script
for general patients and 80 cents
a script for concessional patients,
with the safety net threshold also
rising.
However, the Health Department’s
statements runs contrary to
research and was, to be frank, jaw
dropping.
It is no wonder that Greens
Senator Richard Di Natale described
it as “embarrassing for the
department,” and indicated it was
contradicted by the evidence from
various studies. “We’re with the
flat earth society here,” Senator Di
Natale said.
Supporting other evidence
presented, the Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia’s submission
stated “there is a danger of patients
foregoing some of their necessary
medications due to cost”.
PBS patient co-payments are a
feature of the PBS. Increases have
generally occurred annually based
upon increases in the Consumer
Price Index but there have also been
sizeable ad hoc increases in excess
of inflation, such as is proposed in
this year’s Federal Budget.
Raising the cost of medicines for
consumers will lead to short-term
savings.
However, as the co-payment
increases, so too will the number
of consumers ending up in hospital
and nursing homes, with the
attendant extra costs to the health
system and ultimately to taxpayers.
It’s as simple as that.
We welcome any comments.
If you would like to weigh in on
this or other subjects, you can
email us at
info@pharmacydaily.com.au.
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