Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the member for Robertson, I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the Government will have delivered cheaper medicines from 1 January 2023 with millions of Australians paying almost 30 per cent less for Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) scripts; and

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) for the first time in its 75-year history, the maximum cost of general scripts under the PBS will fall; and

(b) the Government is helping to ease the squeeze on household budgets for millions of Australians.

I'm delighted to support this motion moved by the member for Robertson, my dear friend Dr Gordon Reid, who is a great asset to this parliament. I'm also proud to be a member of the Albanese government, which introduced and passed the National Health Amendment (General Co-payment) Bill 2022. This legislation successfully resulted in cheaper medicines for almost 19 million Australians by ensuring that they pay almost 30 per cent less for their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme scripts. This is a win for all Australians—old, young, families and individuals. It is now easier to access affordable medicines. Because of the increase in the cost-of-living stresses on families, and as a paediatrician, I fully supported this legislation, and I'm very grateful that we've been able to do this.

As a doctor, I understand how stressful the cost of medication can be for patients and their families. It can sometimes be the difference between food in the fridge and prescription forms being completed. Not infrequently I've had patients ask me, when given a list of medications they need for their child: 'What are the most important ones? Which ones should I get straightaway?' This is true for young families who may have several kids with asthma; kids with severe eczema, who require multiple treatments; children with multiple allergies; and children with a number of different disorders, including epilepsy. It was often a question for those families of whether they should get all the prescriptions filled when they were needed or whether they could delay at least some of them so they could afford the cost.

This legislation really is an achievement worth noting. No other government has delivered cheaper medicines at this rate. It's the first time that the cost of general scripts has fallen in the 75-year history of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which, you would all be aware, was a great victory for the Chifley Labor government. In my electorate of Macarthur, this legislation is already having a significant effect and positive impact, with over 100,000 people already benefiting from this, ensuring more households can access medication that's needed with less financial pressure than before.

I note that the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney, also mentioned in her speech during the second reading debate on the legislation how Australians living with diabetes, which is millions of people, are some of the biggest winners from this legislation. Children are also some of the biggest winners from this legislation, I would say, because they can now get all the treatments that they require. For example, an individual who has 13 scripts per year for diabetes medication will save over $160, as the cost of the script for nonpensioners has fallen from $42.50 to $30. Other winners are those who require a tablet for the prevention of stroke—an anticoagulant or blood-thinning medication. Under this legislation, those who require 26 scripts per year are saving $325 every year, which is a huge financial win for Australian patients and their families.

I believe that this legislation is also an important step in ensuring that healthcare access in Australia remains as equitable as possible. I think that at the moment, after 10 years of a coalition government, there are questions about the equity of access to health care in Australia. Health access is becoming increasingly difficult for some of the poorest Australians, and that's something that we must fight against. Health access is important for everyone, not just wealthy people, and the Albanese government is doing its best to reverse the trends of the last 10 years.

Medication is important for people across the age spectrum, from the very young to the very old. We have often heard how pharmacists are asked which the cheaper brand option is and whether certain medications are necessary or not. Labor has a strong commitment and a proud record in health care, and we're doing our best as part of our ideology, which is to deal with inequities in access to health care. I really look forward to the changes that the Albanese government will make to make health access much more equitable.

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