Secret PBS surcharges claimed
The Federal Opposition’s Health spokeswoman, Julia Gillard, says the Government has applied secret new charges to some commonly used medications. The cost of four common medicines has almost doubled after new surcharges were quietly applied to them because similar generic products have come on the market – so the Federal Government reduces the price it pays for the original drugs by 12.5%.
Julia Gillard says that patients pay the difference if the Government can not persuade the pharmaceutical companies to lower their prices. Thousands of pensioners are now paying up to $4.18 in new surcharges for the anti-ulcer drug Zantac. The cost of the blood pressure treatment Tritace, used by 233,000 Australians, leapt by $3.25 a month. The anti-ulcer treatment Zoton has had a $3.63 surcharge applied and the cost of the anti-biotic Amoxycillin used by children has increased by 58c.
The charges come on top of the $4.70 patient charge paid by pensioners for subsidised medicines and the $29.50 charge to general patients. In some cases, the surcharges mean the price of the medicine to pensioners has doubled.
The new charges are the result of the Federal Government’s $1.3 billion cost cutting to the medicines subsidy scheme and the refusal of big drug companies to charge less.
