A third of women living in the federal electorate of Dobell struggle to afford prescription medicines, according to a survey by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
Research undertaken last month showed that 37 per cent of non-concession entitled women have struggled to find the money to pay for medication, while 20 per cent of all people in Dobell have been forced to go without medication altogether because of lack of cash.
Pharmacy Guild National President, Professor Trent Twomey said that the research showed the situation was disproportionately affecting women.
“I see mothers in my pharmacy forced to choose which child gets the medicines prescribed by the doctor or not filling their own scripts because there’s nothing left in the budget.
Trent Twomey
“As community pharmacists, we are raising the alarm.
“When medicines become unaffordable, it means that there is no real universal access to the PBS which is the foundation of our health system,” he said.
The research, undertaken by a company called Insightfully, on behalf of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, found that close to a third (31 per cent) of middle-income households ($60,000 to $100,000) without a concession card have found it difficult to afford medications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
It discovered that people in the electorates of Flynn (Queensland) and Dobell (northern areas of the Central Coast) were the most affected.
Member for Dobell Emma McBride, who is also a pharmacist, said she was concerned about the number of locals who are not receiving the medicines they need.
“What we’re seeing is people delaying or skipping filling prescriptions because of cost and this is disproportionately affecting women and hurting local families,” McBride said.
“People shouldn’t have to choose between the medicines they need and keeping a roof over their head or putting food on the table.
“Right now, the cost of living is only going up and wages are stagnant. Families on the Coast can’t afford the essentials they need, and this Government should be doing more to help,” she said.
The research was in field during January, after the PBS co-payment for medicines automatically rose on January 1, putting the patient contribution on track to hit almost $50 by the end of the decade.
Nicola Riches