Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

As I was saying, pharmacists have been charging the government 20 to 75 per cent above the market price. These inflated prices have meant that the government has paid, in some instances, $2,800 above the market price of this drug. There has been no change to the budget. I am aware that some private hospitals and pharmacists are concerned that the docetaxel price reduction may impact on the viability of providing chemotherapy drugs in some pharmacy settings. Price disclosure for chemotherapy drugs is not new.

It has been in place since 2007, and pharmacies have been aware of the likelihood of price reductions for these drugs for several years.

It was the now opposition that put the scheme in place in 2007. It is important, though, to recognise that the PBS pays for the cost of the medicine and that the clinical services pharmacists provide in this sector are supported through the funding arrangements with the hospitals. So there are two parts to this: one is the PBS and the other is the funding that is provided with arrangements with the hospitals. Therefore, as this relates to pharmacy-dispensing remuneration, having encouraged the use of—