Around 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) can be dispensed as a 60-day prescription from 1 September 2023. This could lead to savings of $180 per medication per year for Medicare card holders and an additional $43.80 per medication per year for concession card holders.

Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said that more than 49,000 patients in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region will save money and time as a result.

Fiona Phillips MP with Uncle Tom Moore 

“60-day prescriptions will halve the medicine costs for people living with an ongoing health condition, and free up our local GPs,” Ms Phillips said.

“Cheaper medicines are good for the hip-pocket, but it’s also helping those who are most vulnerable and are more likely to skip medications because they cannot afford them.”

Not everyone is happy though. Pharmacists staged a protest and walkout in the public gallery of the House of Representatives on 4 September, 2023 and others were ejected.

National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Trent Twomey stated that local community pharmacies are picking up the cost of the policy, receiving the same funding from the Government for twice the amount of work. He says the 6000 community pharmacies across Australia may have to cut staff, trading hours and even some services just to survive.

No local Kiama pharmacists The Bugle contacted were prepared to state objections publicly, but they did state the change was a direct and huge cost to small business while costing the Federal Government nothing, and in fact probably saved them money and was very popular with voters.

Several local pharmacies have had to make tough changes to their business practices to remain in business, even reducing some staff numbers and considering reduction in services.

Pic from the federal government health department's PBS site.