Comment on Close to 500k Australians could have missed out on savings at the pharmacy [from the PBS Safety Net]

• princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  The way the form is set out, it’s supposed to be hand written, with fields about the medicine, the pharmacist that dispensed it, the date, and it’s cost. Instead most pharmacists will just use the copy of the prescription label that gets printed out, because that includes all the above details. Here’s the form in question: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/pb240

  You also have seperate forms for the actual application, which must be done by a pharmacist: www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/pb241

  As well as a whole form to claim a refund if you didn’t get a medication for the safety net cost (either free for concession, or the reduced concession charge for general patients): www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/pb132

  If the system were digitised none of these forms would need to exist. Keeping in mind that this data already is in a centralised system. I can go to myhealthrecord and see a list of all the scripts I’ve had filled and when. The only info it’s missing is how much I’ve paid, as pharmacies often subsidise the rate a bit. I pay $6.90 for my scripts instead of $7.70, and the safety net is based off real cost you’ve paid.

  Anyway, sorry for the info dump, just something I’ve been frustrated with since I started interacting with this system.

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  • sqgl@beehaw.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Thanks. I opted out of MyHealthRecord before it kicked in. This vindicates me: the justification for them is to streamline services but, from what you told me, they are not even doing that (in this instance).

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    • princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      The thing is, that prescription history is still saved as far as I’m aware, you just don’t have access to it without a MyHealthRecord. That’s, no offence, kind of the misconception a lot of folks had about MHR. All that data is collected about you either way and already had been for years.

      The other thing about it people got shitty about is that when a child turns 14 their parent loses access to their MHR. However, that’s just in line with the rest of our medicare rules that mean a 14yo can access healthcare privately and independently.

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      • sqgl@beehaw.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

        Prescriptions are only a small part of our health record.

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