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How You Could Soon Save Hundreds On Your Medication

Great news! The Federal Government just announced that six million Australians will save up to $180 a year per drug on more than 300 common medications for chronic conditions such as heart disease, cholesterol and hypertension. 


 


I was proud to join the experts in calling for the change back in January. Since then, I’ve been working hard to get the change across the line.
 
I stood up on the floor of the House of Representatives six weeks ago and called on the Government to make prescription medications cheaper for millions of Australians. No other Member of Parliament has raised this issue since the last Federal election.

The experts and I kept up the pressure in the media, standing up against powerful lobbyists.
 

I’m pleased to let you know we’ve been successful, helping to deliver major cost-of-living relief right when it’s needed most, while ensuring those with chronic illnesses stay healthy. 

I’ve spent my whole professional life fighting to help our community stay healthy, and it’s been an honour to continue that fight as your local representative. 
 

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s announcement. 
 

How you could save hundreds of dollars


At the moment, when you receive prescription medications from the pharmacy, you can only receive one month’s worth of medicine.
 

The changes announced today mean that for more than 300 common medicines, you can now receive two months’ worth of medication when you fill your script. The Federal Government has also doubled the maximum length of scripts from six months to 12 months.
 

What looks like small changes to the way prescriptions work mean big savings for those with chronic illnesses who take medications long-term.

The six million Australians who use one of the common medicines covered by the change — including medications like the contraceptive pill, hormone replacement therapy, and medications for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes — will save up to $180 per year per drug. 
 

By taking out prescriptions that go for a whole year, rather than just six months, we’ll also save by reducing the number of times we have to go to our GP to get a new script. 

 

 

 

Why this is better for our health

 

One of the challenges those with chronic illnesses face is how frequently they have to go to the pharmacy to fill out a script — and how often they have to go to the GP to get a new one.
 

With over a million Australians missing prescribed medication doses each year, this change means we’ll see more people with chronic illnesses taking their important medications more often. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has advised this government that this change is safe — if your doctor has any concerns, such as fears a patient isn’t medically stable or may require dose changes, they can choose to still give you a six month script.
 

By reducing visits to GPs, the change also means our stretched doctors have more time to see sick people rather than spending time re-issuing routine scripts. 

 

What happens next

 

I’ll keep working hard to improve our community’s health and help relieve cost of living pressures in the lead up to next month’s Federal Budget.
 

There’s plenty more to do. Ahead of the Budget, I’ll be encouraging the Federal Government to look at measures to help pharmacists play a greater role in delivering community health services, including funding to provide more vaccinations and assist with management of chronic medical conditions.
 

I’ll also make sure the Federal Government and the media don’t forget that so many Australians are still suffering from COVID, whether that be recent infections or the effects of long COVID. On Monday, I was pleased to see the Government announce $50 million in funding to research the effects of long COVID following the release of an inquiry report I worked on, and I look forward to continuing that work.
 

If you have any questions about the policy change, don’t hesitate to get in touch with my office and my wonderful team and I will be happy to assist. 

During the federal election, I pledged to change Kooyong’s climate. Together, we’re doing exactly that. That’s the power of community independents. 

 

Thanks for your support, and talk soon, 

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