New data from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia shows that 22 per cent of Tasmanians are unable to afford medication
A pharmacist with more than 25 years experience says more Tasmanians are skipping their medicines than ever due to cost of living pressures. Here’s the shocking statistics backing that claim.
Tasmania
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New research from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has found that more than one in five Tasmanians have been unable to afford medicine over the last three years.
And the numbers are worse in regional Tasmania, increasing to 26 per cent.
Madeleine Bowerman owns TerryWhite Chemmart at Sorell and Dodges Ferry and has noticed that her customers struggle to afford their medication.
“I have been a pharmacist for over 25 years, and I don’t think I can recall it ever being as bad – to be honest – as it is now,” Ms Bowerman said.
“I had a customer in the other day, and they mentioned they have been taking their medicine every second day to try and stretch it out.
“And then I had another gentleman in who has multiple chronic health conditions, and he’s choosing which medications today.
“He’ll say, ‘I can’t get that one today’.”
Pharmacy Guild of Australia Tasmania Branch President Joe O’Malley said he was not shocked by the data.
“The cost of just existing, in terms of food, groceries and utilities, is really hard out there,” Mr O’Malley said.
“It doesn’t surprise me that people might look at the week or the month ahead and go ‘you know what, I can just afford the rent, and I can just afford the Aurora bill, but I’m going to have to skip my blood pressure and my cholesterol medication this month because I simply can’t afford it’.”
Mr O’Malley said governments had the power to make medication more accessible to people.
“We’ve been very productive with governments of both colours over the last few years in lowering the costs.
“But we’re still on a journey to lower that even more.”
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said his government was taking action on the issue.
“Labor’s hard-fought reforms are delivering cheaper medicines to millions of Australians – already saving them $1.2b in out-of-pocket costs,” Mr Butler said.
“Labor has delivered and is continuing to deliver cheaper medicines for Tasmanians. Tasmanians have saved more than $28.6m on cheaper medicines.
“The Albanese Labor government has lowered the maximum co-pay on prescriptions, slashed the amount pensioners and concession card holders pay for their medicine in a year by 25 per cent, introduced the landmark 60-day prescriptions, and from January 1 this year, we froze the cost of medicines for everyone, ensuring medicines stay cheaper.
“We’ve done all this while adding almost 300 new and amended medicines to the PBS so Tasmanians can continue to access the life-changing and lifesaving medications.”
Originally published as New data from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia shows that 22 per cent of Tasmanians are unable to afford medication
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