Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

This is another area where we saw a distinct lack of action from the former government, which meant that people paid more for their medicines for longer than they needed to. The government is acting on the expert clinical advice and feedback. We are acting on the advice of the former government chose to ignore, and from 1 September we are implementing this advice because it is not only good health policy but it also makes medicines cheaper and helps Australians with their cost-of-living challenges.

Introducing 60-day scripts for stable ongoing conditions was a recommendation from the PBAC in 2018. The 2018 recommendation was never implemented by the former government—those in the 'no-alition' now—costing Australians billions of dollars in lost savings. People have had to pay more for their medicines for longer than they needed to. There are millions of Australians with ongoing health conditions who deserve an explanation. This, of course, is a reform that is supported by many in the health sector, who want to see people pay less for their medicine.