Millions of Australians continue to face difficult choices at the pharmacy counter, with new research showing medicine costs are pushing many to delay or go without prescriptions altogether.
Independent national polling by Insightfully found nearly four million people have been unable to afford at least one prescribed medicine in the past three years, as household budgets tighten under broader cost-of-living pressure. The findings arrive ahead of the federal government’s decision to reduce the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme co-payment for people without concession cards to $25 from 1 January 2026.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says the change will ease pressure on patients who currently pay the highest prices for PBS medicines. National President Professor Trent Twomey argues the flow-on effects extend well beyond individual households.
He said delaying or rationing medicines often leads to worsening health conditions, increased hospital admissions and higher long-term costs for the health system. When people skip treatment because of price, he said, the impact is felt across the system.
The survey data suggests affordability issues are growing. More than one in five Australians report being unable to afford a prescription in the past three years. Among patients without a concession card, 17 per cent say cost stopped them from filling a script, an increase of six percentage points since 2022.
Public backing for lower medicine prices appears strong. The research shows 84 per cent of Australians support reducing the PBS co-payment, making it the most popular of the government’s current health measures.
Professor Twomey said the new $25 cap would return medicine prices to a level last seen in 2004. Without intervention, he said, the cost of a single prescription could have climbed beyond $50. For concession card holders, PBS medicines will remain priced at $7.70.
Health economists have previously noted that lower upfront medicine costs can reduce avoidable hospital admissions, though some warn that changes to PBS pricing must be carefully managed to ensure long-term sustainability. Others point out that medicine affordability is only one part of broader access issues, particularly in regional and remote areas.
Even so, for patients who have been stretching prescriptions or leaving them unfilled, the January price cut is likely to be felt immediately. As Professor Twomey put it, when people say they cannot afford their medicines, the pressure is already there. Reducing the co-payment, he said, lowers a clear barrier to essential treatment.
The Insightfully survey was conducted online with 3,319 respondents between 27 October and 4 November 2025 and was nationally representative.
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