Opposition threatens to block government’s 60-day prescription policy
The government is rushing to save its plan to allow patients to buy two months of medicine at pharmacies, after the opposition urged the senate to tear it up. The move is set to take effect from the first of September and would see 6 million Australians able to collect two months of medicine at a time. Health Minister Mark Butler says he's confident the government can get the legislation through parliament.
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00:00 We're determined to get this through. We're obviously talking to the crossbench. We'd
00:05 given up on support from the Coalition. They opposed this when it was first recommended
00:10 to them five years ago to halve the price of scripts for these common medicines that
00:15 people take with ongoing health conditions, not just for years but often for decades or
00:19 the rest of their lives. So we didn't have much hope of support from the Coalition or
00:23 the powerful pharmacy lobby, but we've had really fruitful discussions with the crossbench
00:28 and the time for a decision in the Senate is this morning. I think we've made the case
00:32 about why this is a very sound policy. Around the world, pretty much every country we usually
00:38 compare ourselves to, allows 60 or 90 day scripts for these ongoing health conditions.
00:43 It was recommended, as I say, by the experts five years ago. It's supported by every patient
00:48 group that I can think of and every doctor's group because it will be good for the hip
00:52 pocket but also it will free up millions of GP consults. Currently they're being used
00:57 just to give routine repeat scripts when they're desperately needed for other health conditions.
01:03 I've read the motion that the Coalition's moving this morning. It doesn't seek to delay
01:07 this by six months, as they've said. The motion is to disallow the measure so it would go
01:12 all together. I think the evidence is there to see about what the Coalition and the powerful
01:18 pharmacy lobby think about this. Five years ago, they opposed this measure when it was
01:22 recommended to them. Today, they oppose this measure and I have no doubt, frankly, in six
01:27 months' time they will still oppose this measure. We are determined to deliver cheaper medicines.
01:32 We're determined to free up all of those GP consults and the time for a decision is this
01:38 morning for the Senate. Do they back this powerful pharmacy lobby or do they back the
01:42 interests of patients and the support of every patient group and every doctor's group in
01:46 the country?
01:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]