Residents in one Illawarra electorate have saved almost $2 million on prescription medicines since early last year, according to the federal government.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But pharmacies say they have been hit hard by the introduction of 60-day scripts, with one prominent Wollongong pharmacist saying he's had to slash staff hours and is struggling to pay bills for the first time in his career.
As the federal government increased the number of drugs that can now be dispense as a 60-day supply, which cuts in half the cost for patients, Whitlam MP Stephen Jones said more than 19,500 scripts had already been dispensed in his electorate since September.
He said Whitlam residents had saved $1.9 million on cheaper medicines since January 2023, and that these saving were set to grow following an expansion of the number of medicines eligible for a 60-day script.
There are now a total of 184 medicines now eligible, with residents with diabetes, epilepsy, breast cancer and menopause able to receive a two-month supply of their medication for the price of one script.
Mr Jones said the cheaper medicines were part of the government's cost-of-living relief.
"60-day scripts are saving locals money, as well as unnecessary trips to the GP," he said.
But Wollongong pharmacist Asim Iqbal, of Convenient Chemist at Hospital Hill, said these savings has come at a cost.
He said pharmacists were previously paid a fee each month for dispensing a script, but that had now reduced to being every second month - effectively halving what pharmacies were being paid by the government before the advent of 60-day scripts.
"We are affected by cost-of-living pressures just like everyone else - but our payments are linked to PBS and controlled by the government," he said.
"I've seen pharmacies that have reduced their trading hours or days of trading, and pretty much ever pharmacy now charges for services we used to do for free - like Webster-packing medicines, for instance.
"There's been an impact on staff - we have had to trim shifts and trim hours, or have not replaced staff when the leave."
"It's not fun talking to staff about potential job losses and cutting hours."
Under the 60-day scripts initiative, Australians without a concession card save up to $189 per medicine, per year, while pensioners and concession cardholders save up to $46.20 per medicine, per year.
Nationally, Australians have saved over $11.7 million on almost 3 million 60-day scripts since they were first introduced in September.
The government also said it was returning every dollar saved from 60-day prescriptions to pharmacies, with new programs and payments to provide services.
It said this has seen an extra $50 million flow into pharmacies.
Mr Iqbal said he was yet to see more money flowing from the government, but was waiting for new community pharmacy agreement to be negotiated between the government and Pharmacy Guild.
He said this was "one of the toughest times I can remember as a pharmacist"
"I've never struggled to pay bills, but we've got to hold twice as much stock, but we're being paid less per dispense, so there's definitely financial stress," he said.
"Now I'm having to ring suppliers and ask for a little more time."
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
