>>PHARMACY software vendors have been paid almost $550,000 to incorporate >>federal changes to the PBS Safety Net intended to halt the end-of-year >>rush to fill repeat prescriptions at the concession price. >> >>Changes to the software were necessary to enforce the new 20-day rule, >>which prevents people stockpiling medicines. >> >>In particular, the measure is aimed at stopping patients who only >>qualify for PBS concessions late in the year obtaining repeats of their >>scrips before their eligibility expires on December 31. >> >>The provision is expected to save the government $70 million over the >>four years to 2008-09. >> >> >I suppose there is something in this but not a lot. While there is >certainly stockpiling before the end of the year, that merely delays the >date when they are forced to return and pay full price in the next year >and hence prevents or delays them reaching the threshold for that year.
And it will only *stop* responsible people (such as my mother) who can't easily get about due to physical problems or transport logistics, from getting several weeks' worth of necessary medication at a time. Particularly problematic for those living in rural areas with poor or non-existent public transport. This will only increase travel costs for patients. And, of course, the government had obviously failed to inform her GP when this came into effect several weeks ago when she went in for the repeat scrip(t) and she could have been forewarned what to expect from now on. Well, at least she can take small comfort knowing that she can now pinpoint the *exact* location of every public toilet in Australia just by logging on to the Internet. (I can't wait to program my GPS!) Jan Flushed with success in Golden Valley...not -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.375 / Virus Database: 267.15.2/253 - Release Date: 7/02/2006 _______________________________________________ Gpcg_talk mailing list [email protected] http://ozdocit.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gpcg_talk
