The Coalition has asked the Senate to tear up changes allowing patients to buy two months of medicine for the price of one unless Labor pauses the policy and blunts the impact on pharmacies.
On Wednesday the shadow health minister, Anne Ruston, and Nationals Senate leader, Bridget McKenzie, announced that if the Albanese government did not pause the 60-day dispensing policy they would seek to have it disallowed.
That is despite the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, telling the party room the Coalition supported 60-day dispensing but did not think pharmacists should pick up the tab.
The health minister, Mark Butler, immediately stared down the threat, suggesting the issue should be resolved within 24 hours because patients had already missed out on hundreds of millions in savings.
Under the changes to take effect from 1 September, about 6 million Australians will be able to collect two-for-one scripts for 320 common medicines, leading to savings of up to $180 a year for each medicine.
The move will save patients more than $1.6bn over the next four years, but is estimated to cost pharmacies $1.2bn due to less frequent dispensing fees.
The Pharmacy Guild has lobbied intensely against the policy, seeking compensation from the government and warning of staff cuts and fee increases for services such as packing Webster packs for elderly patients.
In in-store campaign material, pharmacists have claimed the policy has contributed to medicine shortages and urged patients to blame the prime minister, Anthony Albanese.
On Wednesday Ruston and McKenzie lodged the disallowance, which is supported by One Nation and the former Liberal David Van.
But with the Greens opposed, the Coalition would need to win support from David Pocock, both Jacqui Lambie Network senators and independent Lidia Thorpe to overturn the policy.
Ruston and McKenzie claimed the Coalition “strongly supports Australians having access to cheaper medicines”, including 60-day dispensing.
“There are legitimate concerns that Labor’s approach to 60-day dispensing could see community pharmacies close down and result in vulnerable Australians paying more for their healthcare,” Ruston said.
“The government must get this right – and so far, they have shown no ability to do so.”
The pair said they were merely holding Labor to its pre-election commitment to “reforms that do not negatively impact on either the viability of community pharmacies or patients’ access to community pharmacy services”.
The Greens health spokesperson, Jordon Steele-John, said the minor party had “heard from the community that their priority is cost-of-living relief. Additionally, the move to 60 day dispensing will support disabled and chronically ill people as they will undertake fewer trips to the pharmacist.”
Butler told reporters in Canberra that the reforms were recommended by the medicines experts on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and were supported by “every significant patient group … and every doctor’s group as well”.
“The Coalition and the guild opposed this measure five years ago, they oppose it today. Does anyone seriously expect that they’re not going to oppose it in six months?”
Butler said the Senate has a choice in the next 24 hours to “allow access to cheaper medicines for 6 million” or reject cheaper medicine.
