Pharmacy Daily | Mid-tier PBS co-payment needed

CALLS for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) general co-payment to be slashed are gathering momentum, with Better Access Australia (BAA), urging the Federal Government to cut patients' out-of-pocket costs.

In its pre-Budget submission released today, the health advocacy group has pushed for the introduction of a "mid-tier co-payment" of $20, to improve medicines afforability for Australian patients.

Highlighting concerns about the high costs of medicines patients are facing, BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill, noted data released by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, which revealed one-in-five people aged 18 to 64 years old decribed prescription medications as "unaffordable" (PD 31 Jan).

"Right now, Australians are paying some of the highest co-payments for subsidised medicines in the world," she said.

"Our PBS system is lacking the nuance of access needed.

"The gap between the concessional and general co-payment both in access and cost has become too stark.

"Over one-in-three scripts on the PBS are now fully funded by patients, and with the Government recently passing legislation to increase the costs patients will be charged for many medicines on top of this $1.20 price hike, we need to do better for individuals and families falling through this access gap.

"Introducing a mid-tier co-payment better spreads the burden of making medicines affordable between the community and the government."

Under the BAA's proposal families earning less than $136,000 would be eligible for the $20 co-payment, while the Guild has called for the general co-payment to be slashed from $42.50 to $19, under its Affordable Medication Reform policy (PD 15 Sep 2021).

McNeill also called on the Government to implement a freeze on increases to the concessional and general PBS co-payments, which went up by $0.20 and $1.20 on 01 Jan, for the next five years.

"COVID lockdowns have reduced job security and eaten into household savings," she said.

"That's why BAA is also asking the Government to freeze indexation on PBS copayments and safety nets for five years to ensure that while cost of living increases and wages stagnate, the community can still afford their medicines."