The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is urging the Federal Government to lock in affordable medicine prices, warning without action patients will face rising prescription costs.
National Vice President Simon Blacker said affordable medicines were not optional when Australians were already managing uncertainty around the price of fuel, groceries and other essentials.
“When medicines become more expensive, people delay or skip treatment — and that leads to poorer health outcomes and higher costs down the track.”
From January 2026, the maximum cost of a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescription for general patients was reduced to $25.
“Patients have already saved more than $50 million since prescriptions were made cheaper in January, and that relief matters more than ever in uncertain times.”
Without government intervention, the price of PBS medicines would have climbed to more than $50, and unless action is taken in the upcoming Federal Budget, medicine costs will begin rising again from January next year in line with inflation.
In its pre‑Budget submission, the Guild is calling on the Government to freeze the PBS co‑payment until 2030, providing patients with certainty and protecting access to essential medicines during ongoing economic uncertainty. The Government has already frozen prescription costs for those with a concession card at $7.70 until 2020. Countries such as the United Kingdom have committed to freezing prescription prices to shield patients from rising costs.
“Freezing the PBS co‑payment until 2030 keeps medicines affordable and gives patients the certainty they need when cost‑of‑living pressures remain high,” Mr Blacker said. “It’s exactly the kind of measure Australians expect to see in the Budget — targeted, progressive and not inflationary.”
“Medicine isn’t a discretionary expense. Australians should not be penalised for needing regular treatment, and community pharmacists see every day how affordable medicines support healthier households and healthier communities.”
The 2026 reduction in the price patients pay for their prescriptions medicine prices followed sustained advocacy from community pharmacists and a coalition of more than 20 health and community organisations who highlighted the real‑world consequences of rising costs — with many Australians forced to choose between food, housing and medicine.
“We know that one in five Australians have skipped a prescription because of cost, and when people delay treatment, their health suffers and costs escalate later. The Government can and must include a freeze on prescription price increases in its budget,” Mr Blacker said.
