Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10223

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Australians avoid scripts
Pharmacy Daily (Australia) - registration required 2007 May 18
http://www.pharmacydaily.com.au/getdoc/df857e45-d972-4241-9a04-07d18dc294a3/pd180507.aspx

Full text:

MORE than one-third of Australians have not filled a prescription or have skipped a medical appointment because of the cost.

This figure is three times higher than the proportion of people in the UK who have gone without healthcare, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund health policy think tank.

The report on international health comparisons found that 34% of Australians have not filled a prescription, or have not attended a recommended medical test, treatment or follow-up, or have had a medical problem but did not see a doctor because of cost.

In the UK, that figure is only 13%, while in Canada, it is 26%.

Shadow Health Minister Nicola Roxon said these statistics show that Australians are “doing terribly” when it comes to the cost of healthcare.

“John Howard’s policies at the last election have failed to keep a lid on rising health costs,” Ms Roxon said.

The research coincides with a report commissioned by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), released yesterday, which indicated that more than half the “new” health spending in last week’s federal budget would be spent maintaining existing services and programs.