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‘I am sorry for that’: PBS price caps expected to speed up slow medicine system

From January next year the price of medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme will be capped at $25 per script and that’s regardless of who wins the upcoming federal election.

The Labor Federal Government has made the pledge and the Coalition has agreed to match it.

Federal Minister for Health Mark Butler told Peter Fegan on 4BC Breakfast, “We have one of the best medicine systems in the world.”

“It delivers Australians the best medicines available anywhere on the planet at affordable prices, but getting them through the system is taking too long.”

“We all agree it should be better,” Mark Butler said.

“I think there are patients out there who are waiting for medicines to be approved and who are either paying top dollar for them or even worse, might not be getting the therapies that they wanted and needed.”

“And to that extent, as the Health Minister, of course, I am sorry for that and we want the system to work better,” Mr. Butler continued.

Hear more highlights from Peter Fegan below:

Image: X/Mark Butler MP/iStock

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Peter Fegan
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