Alphapharm Savings Guide

Access to medicines is an important element in providing quality healthcare for all Australians.  To ensure our healthcare dollar is most efficiently spent, we all have a responsibility to save money on medicines where possible. One way of saving money is through the use of generic medicines.

You may be aware that the Australian Government has heavily subsidised prescription medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) since the 1950s. Patients are required to make a contribution by paying a ‘patient co-payment’ (of either $5.00 or $31.30 per script, depending on your concession status, current as at 1st May 2013).

Since the 1990s, the Government has introduced a number of initiatives to curtail the rising cost of medicines. Firstly, the Minimum Pricing Policy, where the cost of a medicine is only subsidised to the level of the lowest priced brand. The patient is expected to pay any additional fees on top of their patient contribution, the cost of which does not contribute to the Safety Net. Secondly, the Brand Substitution Policy, where pharmacists are authorised to substitute interchangeable brands, on the provision that both doctor and patient agree. Thirdly, in 2005, the Government introduced initiatives to encourage wider use of generic medicines, by providing better information on their safety, quality, health and economic features to Australians.

As a service to the community, we have created a calculator designed to show possible savings that can be achieved by using an Alphapharm product in place of a brand name equivalent. These savings may also be achieved by taking equivalent medicines marketed by other generic manufacturers. Neither the use of the calculator nor the information obtained from its use are intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your health care provider if you have any questions or require further information regarding the treatment of your condition.

The data used to populate this calculator is current and freely available. It may be found on http://www.pbs.gov.au/html/home