Senator HERRON (Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs)(3.03 p.m.) —Senator Forshaw asked me a question on 17 November in relation to therapeutic groups premiums policy. I seek to incorporate the answer to that question in the Hansard .

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

QUESTION WITHOUT NOTICE

SENATOR FORSHAW—17 NOVEMBER 1997

Therapeutic Drugs

SENATOR FORSHAW—Madam President, my question is directed to Senator Herron, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Family Services. Minister, I refer to the Government's proposed therapeutic groups premiums policy which will come into effect from 1 February next year. Minister, can you tell us how many Australians are currently being treated with therapeutic drugs which will fall into the government's proposed five groups? Is it true that there are at least 1½ million such persons who will come within those five groups? And, Minister, what will be the impact on these people, and how many of them will be exempted?

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION

SENATOR FORSHAW—Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. Minister, I might say I am surprised that you are unable to provide any estimate of numbers, given that this measure is actually intended to be a budget savings measure on the PBS scheme. One would have thought that the government would have had some idea of how many people will be affected. But, Minister, you mentioned in your answer the position of the elderly. Will the government give consideration to exempting nursing home patients from the additional costs which this policy will no doubt impose?

The Government is able to advise that in 1996/97 about 23 million out of a total of 123.4 million prescriptions were processed by the Health Insurance Commission for the drugs covered by the four therapeutic groups. Prescription data is not aggregated by individual patients. It must be remembered that half the medications involved will not cost one cent more. Counting each individual brand, the drugs in the therapeutic groups amount to 6 per cent of the total number of 1,855 drugs subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.