Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The latest data shows residence in Macquarie are saving money when they get their scrips filled at the chemist. Since we made the largest cut to the copayment on scripts in Australia's history, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury residents have saved more than $2 million on their scripts. That is 170,000 cheaper prescriptions. Our freeze on the cost of PBS medications means those savings will continue for the next year, and for pension the savings continue for the next five years. Since doctors could write and chemists could dispense two scrips for the price of one, 24,000 60-day scripts have been dispensed, saving people time and money.

Across the country, five million Australians have saved more than $414 million on the cost of their medicines thanks to the Albanese Labor government. We're also seeing an increase in GP bulk billing in Macquarie, with the decline in bulk billing turning around and an increase happening with more than 84 per cent of GP visits bulk billed. That's above the state and national average. The Albanese Labor government is the party of Medicare, and we're strengthening Medicare, making it easier for Macquarie residents to get the care they need and saving them millions of dollars on cheaper medicines and free bulk billed visits to the GP.