Disadvantaged Australians more likely to get more medications

Around 28.0 per cent of Australians living in areas of most disadvantage got five or more medications compared to 16.6 per cent of people living in areas of least disadvantage in 2022, according to new data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Robert Long, ABS head of health statistics, said: “Today’s release of linked Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and National Health Survey 2022 data gives us insights into the demographics like age and sex, health risk factors and chronic conditions of people using PBS medications.

“Eight in ten, or 83.0 per cent, of Australians with a chronic condition got at least one medication type under the PBS.

“People who have a chronic condition also got an average of five different types of medication,” Mr Long said.

People who experienced severe or very severe bodily pain in the last four weeks were more likely to get prescription pain relief and medications used for mental health, than those with very mild or mild bodily pain (65.3 per cent compared to 26.7 per cent of people).

Of those who got a PBS medication, one in seven (13.5 per cent) also got medication subsidised by the PBS Safety Net.

“Australians are not just getting PBS medications but also over-the-counter medications like paracetamol and ibuprofen,” Mr Long said.

“Over two in five people used paracetamol in the two weeks prior to interview, and one in five used ibuprofen,”

Daily paracetamol use rose with the number of chronic conditions people had. People who have chronic conditions were also more likely to use paracetamol than ibuprofen (52.6 per cent compared to 25.3 per cent).

More information can be found from the Medications topic on the ABS website.