Media Release

KAP Leader and the Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter MP voted against the Government’s plans to increase the cost of prescription medication for Australians by up to $5 per prescription.

North Queensland communities who are already hurting due to the cost of petrol, insurance, rates and general health care will feel the pain at the hip pocket if there is any increase to the cost of prescription medications.

“Older people—and the demographic in Far North Queensland is very old people—can pay upwards of $100 a month for pharmaceuticals. Once you get over the age of 69 or 70, you are looking at $100 a month at least. We are talking about an extra $20 here.

“It does not sound like much, but if they pay, as we do in North Queensland, $3500 for rates and $3500 for insurance—that is half of their income gone on insurance and rates.

"I do not know how people are able to afford a feed! We have had two cases of people pulling their own teeth out with a pair of pliers because they could not afford a dentist,” Mr Katter said.

Speaking in Parliament against the Government’s plans to increase the cost prescriptions, Mr Katter also praised the work of community pharmacies around Australia, but acknowledged the enormous pressure that pharmacists are under in order to keep their businesses afloat while facing fierce competition from big brand retailers.

“As one pharmacist said to me, 'Every single thing I have on my shelves Woolworth and Coles now have on their shelves—and they are selling them for less than I can buy them for'.  

"There are discussions taking place that this has to stop, otherwise Coles and Woolworths will use their muscle power to force down supplier prices. If the suppliers are forced to reduce their prices to Coles and Woolworths, they will have to increase their prices to the independent pharmacists” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter voted against the National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2014 which would see the cost Australian’s pay for prescriptions increase.