Half price scripts in jeopardy when parliament returns

Patients will have to go back to their doctor and pay for a new script if the Opposition succeeds in blocking new half price scripts that come into effect on September 1.

Doctors claim the National Party will unleash prescription chaos when, for “political motives”, it moves to block half price medicines that became available to patients from September 1.

It comes as pharmacists are being asked to “chip in $500” to campaign against the government’s half price medicine policy ahead of a rally to fight the change in Canberra next week.

From tomorrow – September 1 – patients will for the first time be able to get commonly-used medicines dispensed for 60 days, up from the current 30 days, which means the medicines are now supplied at effectively half price.

It is more convenient for patients on regular medications who will now have to visit their pharmacy only six times a year instead of 12 times.

But that could all end days after it starts with the National Party intending to next week move in the Senate to overturn the change.

Australian Medical Association president Professor Steve Robson has written to National Party leader David Littleproud urging him to abandon plans to block the change, warning it will cause chaos.

AMA president Steve Robson. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

National Party leader David Littleproud. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Doctors who have written new 60-day scripts will have to write new ones for 30 days if this happens. It will add to the cost of Medicare and cost patients money if they have to go back to their doctors for a new script.

“You appear intent on stopping at any cost a sound health policy that will deliver significant savings to patients, improve health outcomes, keep people out of hospital and free up GP consultations at a time when we know access to a GP can be difficult for some patients,” Professor Robson said in the letter.

“When Parliament returns on 4 September, 60-day dispensing will have started and doctors will have already written prescriptions for clinically suitable patients. The disallowance motion you intend pursuing not only has the potential to deny patients the benefits of this policy, but it would also result in confusion and chaos for patients and doctors alike,” he said.

The National Party intends to move in the Senate to overturn the 60-day script change. Picture: iStock

The National Party claims rural pharmacies will lose money as a result of the change but the AMA says it is not being honest with voters.

This is because the government has doubled the rural pharmacy allowance and provided a further $148 million in grants to cover any losses rural chemists might make as a result of the policy.

“These actions would suggest that your concerns for the viability of rural pharmacy are based on political motives and not facts,” Professor Robson said.

Meanwhile, pharmacists are next week expected to descend on Canberra to protest the change with the “Truth Campaign Rally” organising a march.

The Australian Journal of Pharmacy reports the group is calling for “an army of pharmacists” from each state to attend the rally, which will occur when the Senate is expected to vote on a disallowance motion to stop 60-day dispensing.

The government forced a vote on 60-day dispensing at the end of the last sitting period and Coalition plans to disallow the policy were voted down when Independent Senators David Pocock, Lydia Thorpe and Jackie Lambie and the Greens sided with the government.

Opposition health spokeswoman Senator Anne Ruston said “We told the government that we would give them three weeks to do the right thing and get back to the table with the community pharmacy sector, so that they can provide a guarantee that no Australian will be worse off from their implementation of 60-day dispensing”.

“The Coalition will consider all options available to ensure Australians have access to cheaper medicines without harming community pharmacies and without increasing the costs of other healthcare items or services,” she said.