The AMA has called on the federal government to show leadership and implement a PBAC decision for two months of medicines to be dispensed from a single script.
The AMA has called on the federal government to show leadership and implement a PBAC decision for two months of medicines to be dispensed from a single script.
Patients on repeat medications could halve their costs if the government were to heed the AMA's call for an increase in the maximum dispensed quantities of selected PBS items.
AMA President Professor Steve Robson called on the federal government to show leadership and implement the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommendation to increase maximum dispensed quantities of selected PBS items from one month's supply to two month's supply.
"It (the PBAC recommendation) was made several years ago now," he said on Perth radio 6PR. "We could be in a situation where patients are saving a lot of money and we call for the urgent adoption of these simple and safe recommendations".
Professor Robson said the failure to implement the PBAC recommendation by the previous government, which had "strangely" been shelved, was costing patients and the taxpayer.
"The PBAC made the recommendation in 2018 after assessing the clinical safety and ongoing cost-effectiveness of the proposed change. The AMA supported the decision as sensible policy that would improve access to medications for patients while saving health budget dollars for taxpayers - it's a clear win-win scenario.
"This is one simple change that could be introduced tomorrow that would improve access to medicines while maintaining safety by allowing two months' worth of medicines to be dispensed from a single script.
"By doing this for these particular medicines, patients could get two months' supply from one co-payment. When Australians are facing increased costs of living, following the independent advice of our experts to halve medication costs is a no brainer."
The AMA has written to the Minister for Health, the Hon. Mark Butler MP, requesting that the government reconsider the PBAC recommendation.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that patients could save as much as $180 a year on their prescriptions under the plan to allow them to obtain two months' supply of medication.
