The Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative supports cheaper medicines policy

AMHC and FECCA strongly support the Government’s 60-day medicine dispensing policy and call on all elected members across the political aisle to support it.

The Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) strongly support the Government’s 60-day medicine dispensing policy and call on all elected members across the political aisle to support it.

From 1 September 2023, many patients living with an ongoing health condition who are stable on their current treatment will be able to receive twice the medication for the cost of a single prescription.

This policy is especially important for our communities given higher prevalence of chronic health conditions among culturally and linguistically diverse Australians as outlined in a recent report by AIHW.

This measure, which is based on independent expert advice, should be implemented without delay. It comes at a time of mounting cost of living pressures, which puts many of our most disadvantaged health consumers in the difficult position between prioritising paying for essential day to day living costs at the expense of buying medications, which are important to keeping them well.