The cost of your prescription medicine could be changing

Taking your medication might be about to get cheaper for some, but there is a catch.

You may have to switch to a generic brand, if you haven’t already done so.

An exclusive report by Newscorp, ahead of the May budget, says Health Minister Greg Hunt will introduce changes that will see prescription software altered so the cheaper generic version of a medicine is prescribed for patients by default. Currently only six in ten patients use generic brands for their medications.

Patients who currently use the cholesterol lowering medicine Lipitor or antidepressant Zoloft, for example, will be automatically prescribed a generic version. There is potential for this to be confusing for some patients who know the names and colours of the brands they currently use, and could potentially get them mixed up with a change.

Read more: Drug firm withheld cancer medicine to get big price hikes: Report.

Newscorp also reported that the prices of X-rays and scans could rise while the Medicare rebate for bulk billed GP visits will rise.

They reported the government also plans to slash price of medicines by 25 per cent when they come off patent. The current rate is 16 per cent. Humira, one of the nations most expensive drugs, used for rheumatoid arthritic, Crohn’s disease and other skin problems is one of the drugs that will be cut by 25 per cent next year.

Will the proposed changes affect you? What do you think?