PGA Newsletter – Vol.2 No.17 8th May,2012
PBS expenditure estimates reduced by $2.1 billion
The Budget highlights the success of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Reforms, implemented with the
cooperation of the pharmaceutical industry, and negotiated in parallel with the Government savings generated
through the Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement.
The cooperative approach between the Government, the pharmaceutical industry and community pharmacy
has resulted in a PBS which not only remains under control, but is trending significantly lower than was previously
estimated. This has also ensured that no measures have been implemented which affect patients’ access to
medicines or the prices they pay.
Compared with the estimates released in last year’s Budget, the new estimates show that the government will spend
$2.1 billion less over the four years to 30 June 2015 on PBS drugs across the General, Concessional and Repatriation
categories. There are some increases in estimated expenditure on Highly Specialised Drugs and other drugs
dispensed in hospitals, however this area of spending has little relevance to most community pharmacies.
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