CHF, Australia’s national peak body for health consumers, has described the ‘green light’ given to 60-day prescriptions in the Senate today as ‘a victory for common sense’.

“With the current cost of living pressures, this is an important win for consumers with chronic health conditions as it will effectively halve the cost of many medications,” CHF CEO Dr Elizabeth Deveny said.

“We applaud the Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler for introducing this measure that will not only be good for consumers’ hip pockets but also for their health.

“Most consumers could see through the Pharmacy Guild’s scare campaign but we condemn their tactics which were aimed at some of the most vulnerable members of the community. This is not what good patient care looks like.”

To help address consumer concerns, CHF launched in June its ‘60dayscripts’ website and a set of fact sheets.

“Over coming weeks CHF will now update the website and provide educational resources for consumers so they can have informed conversations with their doctors and pharmacists about how and when they can access the 60-day scripts,” Dr Deveny said.

“This will include information to help consumers understand if they are likely to be eligible for the 60-day scripts which will be introduced in three phases from 1 September 2023,” she said.

“In addition to saving money, getting a script for two months of some medicines will also save consumers time and travel costs. This is especially important for consumers who live in rural and remote communities who often have to travel hundreds of kilometres to the nearest pharmacy.

“Having a greater supply of medication on hand should also lead to more people taking their medicines as prescribed and this has been proven to lead to better health outcomes.”