EVALUATING THE UPTAKE AND POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS OF A NEW 60-DAY DISPENSING POLICY FOR ANTIHYPERTENSIVE MEDICINES IN AUSTRALIA

Objective: In Australia, antihypertensive medicine prescriptions are dispensed for a maximum of 30 days. This requires monthly pharmacy visits where a dispensing fee is charged at each visit. In September 2023, a new 60-day (60D) dispensing policy was introduced, giving practitioners the option to prescribe medicines for either 30-day (30D) or 60D dispensing. By halving the number of pharmacy visits, a significant cost saving is anticipated by a reduction in dispensing fees. We evaluated the uptake of Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) 60D dispensing policy for antihypertensive medicines and estimated potential cost savings, compared to the conventional 30D dispensing. Design and method: Mixed methods design. We used publicly available aggregated PBS data to examine trends in antihypertensive dispensing from September 2023 to December 2024. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 GPs within 12 months of policy launch to evaluate their perspectives on 60D dispensing. Results: Across the 16 months since policy launch, the volume of antihypertensives dispensed under the 60D policy increased, accounting for 17% of total antihypertensive dispensing by December 2024, with the rest 30D. We estimated that patients saved ∼AU$26.4-80.3 million (M), and the government saved ∼AU$61.4 M in dispensing costs, with net savings of ∼AU$24.8 M. Interviews with GPs revealed that most prescribed 60D only upon patient request, many perceived resistance from pharmacists regarding the policy, and GP prescription software defaulting to 30D scripts. Conclusions: Uptake of 60D dispensing for antihypertensives has been slow, likely due to GP inertia and resistance from pharmacists. Nonetheless, the policy has demonstrated substantial financial savings for patients and the government compared to 30D. If uptake of 60D dispensing increased to 50% of dispensing, estimated annual savings from antihypertensive medicines alone could rise to ∼AU$70.8-262.7 M for patients and ∼AU$120 M for the government.