Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the National Health Amendment (Effect of Prosecution—Approved Pharmacist Corporations) Bill 2023. Firstly, I want to commend the member for Macarthur for his contribution but also for his record in this space. I quickly want to touch on the two-tiered health system that he mentioned. I share his concern. As a young man growing up, raised by a single mum with five kids, I was fortunate to be a beneficiary of the Medicare system and the healthcare system that we have. We do need to do everything we can to ensure that this system is sustainable, that there is not a two-tiered system and that everyone can have access to health care. That sustainability is so important, as is the PBS.

This bill is important because the PBS is a key part of providing all Australians with medicine and reducing the costs. We need to make choices. We can't afford to put every medicine on the PBS, but we need to do everything we can to put as many medicines as possible on the scheme. The reality is that the people who need those don't need it by choice; clearly it is a cost burden on them that they have to invest in. I have heard horror stories of people in my electorate having to decide between buying food, getting their medicine or paying their power bills. That's the reality of the cost-of-living crisis that we are in. It's an ongoing struggle that Australians have had for many years and will continue to have. That's why we need to do all we can to continue to support the PBS.

I'm glad that this bill has bipartisan support. It's why I wanted to speak on it and share my contribution. The coalition does have a strong track record of providing Australians with timely and affordable access to effective medicines, cancer treatments and services, and the coalition remains absolutely committed to ensuring Australians have access to affordable medicines when they need them. We have a proud record on affordable medicines, having listed almost 3,000 new or amended medicines on the PBS when we were in government. As the cost of living skyrockets, the PBS is going to be more vital than ever for families and for pensioners. Whatever we can do to ensure the sustainability of the PBS is important.

This bill, National Health Amendment (Effect of Prosecution—Approved Pharmacist Corporations) Bill 2023 amends the National Health Act 1953 to support the sustainability and operation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. When a pharmacist has been approved to supply pharmaceutical benefits at a particular premises, the approved pharmacist can then make claims for payments from the Commonwealth in relation to the supply of these benefits. The bill extends the discretionary power of the secretary and the Minister for Health and Aged Care to suspend or revoke approval for a pharmacist to supply pharmaceutical benefits at a particular premises irrespective of whether the approval is held by an individual or under a company structure. Currently if an approval is held by an approved pharmacist corporation and a director is charged with a PBS related offence, they can continue to receive payments from the Commonwealth despite being charged for fraudulently claiming these payments. The government has noted that the measures support a sustainable PBS, which is vital, and the integrity of public funds to ensure that these can be invested in access to new and improved medicines.

But we do have some concerns that the government are not prioritising investments in improved access to potentially life-saving or life-changing medicines. Earlier this month the Labor government quietly removed a life-changing diabetes insulin from the PBS, Fiasp. It's an innovative mealtime insulin that balances blood sugar control at a faster rate than other insulins. I've got family members who have diabetes. I know it's a disease that no-one chooses. It is one that you have to have your medications for, and if you don't the effects down the line are significant. The former coalition government listed Fiasp on the PBS in 2019, ensuring affordable access to this insulin for 15,000 families coping with type 1 diabetes. The government's decision to suddenly remove Fiasp from the PBS will send the price soaring up to $280 per script. They must be transparent with Australian diabetes patients and admit whether they actually took any steps to support the commercial viability of Fiasp remaining on the PBS.

We know Minister Butler has the power to intervene, and it appears that in this case he chose not to. The question is: did they even try to find a solution for the 15,000 patients who rely on this medicine or did they just sit on their hands and enjoy the money savings that came with its removal? The government needs to understand that this decision to tear away the quality of life that the medicine affords over 15,000 people and their families—

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