Australia’s national peak body for health consumers has today launched a new website and set of fact sheets to provide information about the government’s proposed change to allow consumers to get a 60-day supply of many medicines.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation circulating that is concerning consumers unnecessarily, but the bottom line is that 60-day scripts are good for the health of Australians, as well as their hip pocket,” CHF CEO Elizabeth Deveny said.

“Increasing the ability for an estimated 11 million consumers with chronic conditions to get a 60-day supply of their medicines, instead of a 30-day supply, effectively halves the cost of their medicines each time they visit the pharmacy.

“In addition to saving money, which is so important with the current cost of living pressures, consumers will also save 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. For all these reasons, what we are hearing loud and clear from Australian health consumers is that the move to 60-day scripts is a very welcome change.”

Dr Deveny said the four fact sheets provided information and answers to consumers’ frequently asked questions.

“As this change has not passed through federal parliament yet, there is some detail yet to be provided before the 60-day scripts are expected to be introduced from 1 September.

“These resources provide answers to many of the questions that consumers have right now, and CHF will continue to add to the site as more details come to hand. It is our core business to engage and educate Australian health consumers on all aspects of health policy and we believe this site will help people understand the changes and how it will impact them,” she said.

Contact: Melissa Le Mesurier, CHF Media & Comms, 0419 533 363