The Government’s commitment to reducing the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme general co-payment from $41.50 to $30, has been confirmed in the Budget brought down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Trent Twomey, said the inclusion of the measure in the Budget was a great step forward for patients across Australia.
“The allocation of $787 million in the Budget to deliver the first cut in the history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme fulfils an election commitment by the Government,” Professor Twomey said.
“This decision to reduce the co-payment is a result of strong advocacy by the pharmacy profession on behalf of patients across the country.
“As primary healthcare workers, community pharmacists have for some time been hearing patients say they simply cannot afford their medicines.
“This is a good first step in increasing the universality of the access to medicines for all Australians, while also helping to address cost-of-living pressures.”
Professor Twomey also welcomed the Budget measure announced tonight to create an extra 20,000 Government-funded university places across Australia, including for student pharmacists.
“It is significant that a focus of the newly created university places is the health sector which has been severely affected by the workforce shortage,” Professor Twomey said.
“This is a strong initiative that will help ease some of the crisis we are seeing across a wide range of health professions, particularly pharmacy.
“There will be additional places for student pharmacists as well as more subsided places for nurses. This is a recognition by the Government of the severe impact the workforce shortages are having on this sector.”
Under the scheme, universities will be required to allocate the new places to disadvantaged students from poorer backgrounds, Indigenous Australians and students in rural and remote areas.
The National President of the National Australian Pharmacy Students' Association, Flynn Swift, welcomed the move and said it was recognition of the importance of ensuring more students are able to study for the pharmacy profession.
“The workforce shortage is a real and ongoing issue and the only way to address is to start acting now,” he said.
“This is a very sound and proactive initiative.”
Professor Twomey said the initiative was a very encouraging first step in helping ease a growing crisis across the country.
“This is a very positive development and in our pre-Budget submission we also advocated additional solutions including extending the Higher Education Loan Program to include pharmacists, changing funding cluster arrangements, addressing the immigration skill cap for pharmacists and improving immigration processing times,” he said.
“We look forward to working with the Government in further easing the workforce pressures and in so doing ensuring patients have continued access to community pharmacies, and the services they provide.”
