Australians are skipping doses, taking expired medication and going without groceries to afford medicines prescribed by their doctors because they aren’t covered by Labor’s landmark Cheaper Medicines policy, new research from the McKell Institute has revealed.
McKell’s new report Still Out of Pocket found 43 per cent of Australians have been prescribed medicines which aren’t on the PBS. The Cheaper Medicines policy only covers medicines listed on the PBS.
24 per cent of all people prescribed medicines outside the PBS do not purchase the medicine at all, while 16 per cent say they are forced to go without essentials, like food and groceries, to afford it.
More than one in five people surveyed (22%) said they delay filling a prescription due to cost, while 18 per cent did not fill the prescription at all and 15 per cent skipped a dose to make their medication last longer.
Overall, 12 per cent of those surveyed report taking expired medication rather than filling and paying for a new script, while 11 per cent took less than the prescribed amount to make it last longer.
McKell Institute Chief Executive Edward Cavanough said the findings revealed a massive gap in Australia’s medicines policy.
“The Albanese Government deserves credit for the Cheaper Medicines reform which has delivered genuine relief to millions of people, but this research shows that the policy isn’t helping almost half of all Australians,” Mr Cavanough said.
“Nearly half of all Australians are prescribed medicines that aren’t on the PBS and for many of them the situation is dire.
“When people are taking expired medication because they can’t afford to refill their script, it quickly changes from a minor policy gap into a serious public health problem.
“The government has shown it is willing to act boldly on medicines policy but the question now is whether it is willing to go further.
“Our research shows voters want more ambitious action from government - 89 per cent support increased investment in the PBS to ensure more medicines are available at an affordable price. It’s clear the public is ready for the next stage of reform.”
The report is based on a survey of 1,506 people conducted by Redbridge, including those who have not had to purchase non-PBS medication.
Key findings:
- 43% of people surveyed were prescribed or offered medicines not listed on the PBS, meaning they receive no benefit from the Cheaper Medicines policy
- 22% have delayed filling a prescription due to cost, while 18% did not fill a prescription at all
- 15% skipped doses to make medication last longer, 12% took expired medication instead of refilling a script, and 11% took less than the prescribed amount
- Among those prescribed non-PBS medicines, 29% delayed purchasing, 24% did not purchase at all and 16% went without other essentials like groceries to afford it
- 53% say they would struggle to afford an extra $500 a month on medicines not on PBS
- 30% say they would struggle to afford an extra $100 a month on medicines not on PBS
- 89% said they would support increased government investment to ensure more medicines are available and affordable
Contact details:
Edward Cavanough 0423 422 948
