Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

During my time in this place, not until now have I received so many emails from people who were so concerned about being unable to obtain their medications. This issue is electorate-wide. It's requiring people to visit multiple chemists in vain to secure medications—medications that are not just nice to have but necessary.

Hormone replacement therapies and migraine medications have been in short supply this year. I've raised this issue with the minister for health and questioned the shortage of free shingles vaccines for older and vulnerable people under the National Immunisation Program. Some GP-administered shingles vaccine waiting lists are in the several hundreds, while local chemists will offer the vaccine and they have it in supply it's at a $600 per user basis. We don't have a shortage of that vaccine, but we have a failure to plan.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration manages Australia's access to medications. It's the government's responsibility to ensure they do their job. I would urge the government and the minister that we need to ensure that hormone replacement therapies and migraine medications are available and, of course, the shingles vaccine.

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