Consumers are the big winners from the Senate today passing the Abbott Government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) reform package, which will deliver cheaper medicines into the future and a doubling of investment in patient primary care and support programmes.

Health Minister Sussan Ley said today’s vote would mean patients would benefit from the package’s cornerstone measure that will see over 2000 brands of common medicines slashed in price, some by as much as half, from October 2016, whilst also saving taxpayers $2 billion over five years.

This is on top of other measures in the reform package that will benefit consumers, such as the ability for pharmacists to discount the PBS co-payment for patients by $1 for the first time and doubling investment in primary care programmes for patients to $1.2 billion over the next five years.

Ms Ley today thanked Senators from a range of political parties and persuasions for supporting the Abbott Government’s bill in full without amendment, recognising it was a win-win for consumers and taxpayers, whilst also ensuring the future sustainability of the PBS and pharmaceutical supply chain.

“Consumers are the big winners from the passing of this package, with the overall price of thousands of common medicines to fall by upwards of hundreds of dollars per year,” Ms Ley said.

For more details, go to: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2015-ley076.htm