As the cost of living keeps going up, more Aussies are struggling to afford their much-needed medications. This hits even harder for those dealing with heart issues.

That’s why a big price drop for pills used to treat a ‘tricky’ heart disorder is such a relief. With the holidays around the corner, this is good news for many families.

The price for a frequently prescribed heart failure drug is set to decrease, thanks to its inclusion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Jardiance, a daily pill used to treat the progressive heart disease ‘preserved ejection fraction’, has demonstrated its effectiveness by decreasing hospital stays and mortality rates by over 20 per cent.

This condition, which affects about half of those with heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle stiffens, preventing sufficient blood intake and reducing oxygen delivery to the body.

The subsidy will reduce the monthly cost from approximately $60 to $30 for qualified patients and to roughly $7.30 for those with concessions.

The daily pill Jardiance will join the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, cutting its cost in half for patients. Image source: Pixabay

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the pill will join the PBS starting 1st November.

‘We know that chronic heart failure leads to as many as 200 hospitalisations every single day,’ said Minister Butler.

Individuals with this condition often exhibit symptoms such as breathlessness during physical activities, fatigue, and swollen ankles.

Cardiologists highlight that roughly 50 per cent of those diagnosed may not live beyond five years, though the condition, while severe, is treatable.

Among those set to benefit from the drug's inclusion in the PBS is 84-year-old Vicky Kelly.

A few years ago, the condition caused the once-passionate golfer to experience dizziness and fatigue.

She became so affected that she couldn’t even reach her mailbox without feeling breathless.

‘I just stopped having energy,’ she said. ‘(Taking this medication) it’s like being alive again.’

The government subsidises medicines, making them more affordable for Aussies through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Image source: Pixabay

How the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme works

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) helps reduce the cost of prescription medicines for Australians.

The government subsidises medicine costs, allowing Aussies to access a range of medicines without paying the full price.

To buy PBS medicines, a doctor’s prescription is required.

PBS is available to all Aussies with a Medicare card, visitors from countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia, and eligible veterans and their dependents.

Additionally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians may receive extra assistance with the ‘Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment’.

Key Takeaways

• The pill Jardiance, prescribed for the heart disorder 'preserved ejection fraction', has demonstrated a reduction in hospitalisation and mortality rates by over 20 per cent.
• Owing to a subsidy, the medication's price will drop from $60 to $30 monthly for eligible recipients and approximately $7.30 for those with concessions.
• Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has declared that this pill will be incorporated into the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) starting 1st November.
• This medication has notably enhanced the life quality of patients with this condition such as 84-year-old Vicky Kelly.

Members, what are your thoughts on this news? Are there other medications you'd like to see become more affordable? Share your opinions in the comments!

 

[Knell]

I would like the pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of all medications. Their profits are obscene.

 

[Ricki]

It's been reduced for my husband for sometime already. Could be as he had a heart attack some years ago. Good to hear it's dropped in price for others. I agree with Knell, the profits they make are ridiculous.

 

[Brody]

It's been reduced for my husband for sometime already. Could be as he had a heart attack some years ago. Good to hear it's dropped in price for others. I agree with Knell, the profits they make are ridiculous.

My various medications for various conditions are mostly covered by the PBS
so I am fortunate in that respect.

However the number of them for these various complaints still creates a major
problem monthly to make provision of them all costly and collectively expensively on a Single Aged Pension

Whilst I am very grateful for the Concessions it has the effect of still being
somewhat expensive overall.

 

[ElizaKaye]

I have recently pulled a muscle in my left side and the doctor prescribed a pain killer for me that costs approx $50. I am a pensioner and I can't understand, surely there is something else on the PBS.

 

[Wieso]

I have recently pulled a muscle in my left side and the doctor prescribed a pain killer for me that costs approx $50. I am a pensioner and I can't understand, surely there is something else on the PBS.

There are many pain relieve tablets, patches and liquids on the market. Your doctor may have considered those he prescribed for you as the best suited for your pain. Of course he might also have shares in the company that produces the pain killer you have been prescribed. I hope they help and you feel better very soon.

 

[Chrissie1761]

As the cost of living keeps going up, more Aussies are struggling to afford their much-needed medications. This hits even harder for those dealing with heart issues.

That’s why a big price drop for pills used to treat a ‘tricky’ heart disorder is such a relief. With the holidays around the corner, this is good news for many families.

The price for a frequently prescribed heart failure drug is set to decrease, thanks to its inclusion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Jardiance, a daily pill used to treat the progressive heart disease ‘preserved ejection fraction’, has demonstrated its effectiveness by decreasing hospital stays and mortality rates by over 20 per cent.

This condition, which affects about half of those with heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle stiffens, preventing sufficient blood intake and reducing oxygen delivery to the body.

The subsidy will reduce the monthly cost from approximately $60 to $30 for qualified patients and to roughly $7.30 for those with concessions.

View attachment 33364

The daily pill Jardiance will join the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, cutting its cost in half for patients. Image source: Pixabay

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the pill will join the PBS starting 1st November.

‘We know that chronic heart failure leads to as many as 200 hospitalisations every single day,’ said Minister Butler.

Individuals with this condition often exhibit symptoms such as breathlessness during physical activities, fatigue, and swollen ankles.

Cardiologists highlight that roughly 50 per cent of those diagnosed may not live beyond five years, though the condition, while severe, is treatable.

Among those set to benefit from the drug's inclusion in the PBS is 84-year-old Vicky Kelly.

A few years ago, the condition caused the once-passionate golfer to experience dizziness and fatigue.

She became so affected that she couldn’t even reach her mailbox without feeling breathless.

‘I just stopped having energy,’ she said. ‘(Taking this medication) it’s like being alive again.’

View attachment 33365

The government subsidises medicines, making them more affordable for Aussies through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Image source: Pixabay

How the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme works

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) helps reduce the cost of prescription medicines for Australians.

The government subsidises medicine costs, allowing Aussies to access a range of medicines without paying the full price.

To buy PBS medicines, a doctor’s prescription is required.

PBS is available to all Aussies with a Medicare card, visitors from countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia, and eligible veterans and their dependents.

Additionally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians may receive extra assistance with the ‘Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment’.

Key Takeaways

• The pill Jardiance, prescribed for the heart disorder 'preserved ejection fraction', has demonstrated a reduction in hospitalisation and mortality rates by over 20 per cent.
• Owing to a subsidy, the medication's price will drop from $60 to $30 monthly for eligible recipients and approximately $7.30 for those with concessions.
• Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has declared that this pill will be incorporated into the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) starting 1st November.
• This medication has notably enhanced the life quality of patients with this condition such as 84-year-old Vicky Kelly.

Members, what are your thoughts on this news? Are there other medications you'd like to see become more affordable? Share your opinions in the comments!

I thought Jardiance was a diabetic tablet which I can't take anyway because I am on dialysis.

 

[Chrissie1761]

I thought Jardiance was a diabetic tablet which I can't take because I have kidney failure and on dialysis

 

[Colette 3799]

I thought Jardiance was a diabetic tablet which I can't take because I have kidney failure and on dialysis

I‘m on Jardamet for diabetes, could that be what you’re thinking?

 

[rehandra]

As the cost of living keeps going up, more Aussies are struggling to afford their much-needed medications. This hits even harder for those dealing with heart issues.

That’s why a big price drop for pills used to treat a ‘tricky’ heart disorder is such a relief. With the holidays around the corner, this is good news for many families.

The price for a frequently prescribed heart failure drug is set to decrease, thanks to its inclusion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Jardiance, a daily pill used to treat the progressive heart disease ‘preserved ejection fraction’, has demonstrated its effectiveness by decreasing hospital stays and mortality rates by over 20 per cent.

This condition, which affects about half of those with heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle stiffens, preventing sufficient blood intake and reducing oxygen delivery to the body.

The subsidy will reduce the monthly cost from approximately $60 to $30 for qualified patients and to roughly $7.30 for those with concessions.

View attachment 33364

The daily pill Jardiance will join the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, cutting its cost in half for patients. Image source: Pixabay

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler revealed that the pill will join the PBS starting 1st November.

‘We know that chronic heart failure leads to as many as 200 hospitalisations every single day,’ said Minister Butler.

Individuals with this condition often exhibit symptoms such as breathlessness during physical activities, fatigue, and swollen ankles.

Cardiologists highlight that roughly 50 per cent of those diagnosed may not live beyond five years, though the condition, while severe, is treatable.

Among those set to benefit from the drug's inclusion in the PBS is 84-year-old Vicky Kelly.

A few years ago, the condition caused the once-passionate golfer to experience dizziness and fatigue.

She became so affected that she couldn’t even reach her mailbox without feeling breathless.

‘I just stopped having energy,’ she said. ‘(Taking this medication) it’s like being alive again.’

View attachment 33365

The government subsidises medicines, making them more affordable for Aussies through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Image source: Pixabay

How the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme works

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) helps reduce the cost of prescription medicines for Australians.

The government subsidises medicine costs, allowing Aussies to access a range of medicines without paying the full price.

To buy PBS medicines, a doctor’s prescription is required.

PBS is available to all Aussies with a Medicare card, visitors from countries with a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia, and eligible veterans and their dependents.

Additionally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians may receive extra assistance with the ‘Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment’.

Key Takeaways

• The pill Jardiance, prescribed for the heart disorder 'preserved ejection fraction', has demonstrated a reduction in hospitalisation and mortality rates by over 20 per cent.
• Owing to a subsidy, the medication's price will drop from $60 to $30 monthly for eligible recipients and approximately $7.30 for those with concessions.
• Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has declared that this pill will be incorporated into the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) starting 1st November.
• This medication has notably enhanced the life quality of patients with this condition such as 84-year-old Vicky Kelly.

Members, what are your thoughts on this news? Are there other medications you'd like to see become more affordable? Share your opinions in the comments!

$73.48 a month I pay for my three medications. I get a few dollars back under the new scheme. We are self funded so pay full for everything. My husband after waiting 6 years from when he applied for a card from DVA has only got it a month or so ago. What a joke! He now gets his very expensive medications for $7.30 a pack. Take my advice...do not be a fully self funded retiree! The only upside is that we have nothing to do with Centrelink.

 

[havingadoggyday]

$73.48 a month I pay for my three medications. I get a few dollars back under the new scheme. We are self funded so pay full for everything. My husband after waiting 6 years from when he applied for a card from DVA has only got it a month or so ago. What a joke! He now gets his very expensive medications for $7.30 a pack. Take my advice...do not be a fully self funded retiree! The only upside is that we have nothing to do with Centrelink.

Here here!!!!.Self funded retiree here.Didn't smoke,gamble or drink.Stay at home wife to help make a home and harmoney.Helped my two boys through school,highschool, Uni,first cars etc.Never took anything from the government.I was never rich,just a tradesman working at the local steelworks.Made a lot of sacrifices and did without a lot of things.Paid my taxes like everyone else.What have I got at nearly 70 years old and terminal inherited illness??NADA.I pay full price for every single med I take(4) in total per month.My wife has taken regular medications for over 30 years,again many,and no,not because we didn't eat right or look after ourselves,but just an unfortunate illness and not bought on by "lifestyle choices"as are many diseases today.Let me tell you self funded retirees are totally shafted.Most of us are not loaded,we just live off our superannuation modestly,and don't ask or chew into government money.Congratulations for those fortunate enough to get subsidised medicines.Our experience,is making our children wonder whether working hard ,saving skimping,paying super,salary sacrificing is the way to go
Their parents don't seem to be getting rewarded for doing so all their lives.Just my rant today