Australians are being pushed to breaking point. Rising rents, soaring food prices and stagnant wages have created a cost-of-living crisis unlike any we’ve seen before. For many, the cost of medicine has become unaffordable, forcing tough choices: pay for medicine or keep a roof over their heads.
Skipping medication isn’t just a financial decision; it can lead to worsening health, hospitalisations and long-term impacts on quality of life.
These difficult decisions are playing out across the country every day. Parents skip their own medications to cover school expenses. Seniors stretch out prescriptions to afford food. People are sacrificing their health just to survive. This is the harsh reality for countless Australians. When medicine becomes a luxury purchase, the true cost isn’t just financial – it’s measured in lives and livelihoods.
both CPI (Consumer Price Index) and the cost of living continue to rise1
of Australian adults went without their prescription medicine because of cost concerns.2
women delayed or didn’t get a script filled in the past 12 months.3
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Your responses will help us understand the impact of the cost of living crisis on access to medicine. All responses will be kept confidential.
“Yep first I dropped was meds, with a 50 per week increase its crazy. I only got my funeral insurance left to be next!”
Crystal - Australia
“This is an actual issue for me. My second asthma preventer is on 10/120, so thats another cost.”
Joel - Australia
“Pensioner it costs me over 400 a month for prescription medicines. Quite often I will miss medicines,so I can eat”
Scott - Australia
“Would be nice not having to pay for expensive tablets on the the pension I am 82, not a lot left at certain times I am lucky,i have a special daughter and son in law.and son,he buys my Double bed,and big tv, 6 weeks ago ,but my daughter asks for nothing. Xx”
Faye - Australia
“With no bulk bill ups in canberra, I have to wait till I can afford $80 to see a doctor. I am a diabetic and I can't even afford the strip's for my machine and low carbon food. It's way too expensive compared to the cheaper groceries. I have two kids and I always make sure rent is paid first and then groceries, petrol and then I look at my medical needs. My last doctor's appointment was in October was in October 2024 and I havenot been able to save to see him since. It's just a shame that we lived in such a develop country and can't even see a doctor when you have a chronic disease.”
Anonymous - ACT, Australia
“I only have one medication to afford but sometimes can’t fill that ”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“Due to multiple chronic health conditions, I am prescribed 10 different medications, including one that can only be purchased from a compounding pharmacy. Additionally, I take a few vitamins and supplements as directed by my doctor's. Not all medications are covered by the PBS, and the combined cost of mine and my partner's medications rapidly adds up and takes up a large portion of our monthly budget. The added stress of all of this means that my chronic health issues suffer and are compounded!”
Simon - NSW, Australia
“You don't look after yourself the way you should ”
Anonymous - ACT, Australia
“We now are back to paying for our medicine in this,so new year. It means we live on sausages, mince, and rice. It is a treat to have a "whole" piece of red meat. This is how we do it and even this is very hard. thankyou. ”
Trisha - TAS, Australia
“It's Anthor one of life's curve balls that's all”
Marrk - WA, Australia
“There should never be a time when you have to weigh up your options regarding the purchasing of prescribed medication; never.”
Anonymous - QLD, Australia
“My epilepsy medications are ridiculously high, close to $100 every month. I have no concessions or pension because my husband is still employed.”
Anonymous - VIC, Australia
“Long Standing Physical Health Concerns where Public Pain Specialists are Not Available in Tas. And Disability Concessions and the like not considered where constantly enforced into Private arena - with each system keeping separate from each other, they wont share health records or medical correspondance between specialists with each other let alone patient - me ; so they disable you even further, reduce your own self autonomy and remove your ability to be your own advocate/ self manager in your health management. very disempowering and such financial burdens where bulk billing is refused and non pbs medications insisted on top of it all plus OVER THE COUNTER eye care/ skin care etc etc when Already in such financial stress trying to be as physically healthy as possible and keeping power and water to house and ones essential vechicle and the likes - its also too much.. I feel let down, ignored and mismanaged as its a never ending cycle of no medical aaccountability in keeping central health records let alone allied health services also required compounding Affordability .... this influences families well being as now I need support of charity / societies to keep going as well as support from Community Houses... just so i can afford medications”
Ramona - TAS, Australia
“Up until I Got the medicine card I was paying $150:00 -$250:00 per month for 16 lots of medication, One lot still would cost $50:00 per month if I didn’t get off it . These are for prescription medicines. I still have OTC medication like Ibuprofen / ”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“5373 Prescription medications are essential in maintaining my health. My Pharmacy won’t put my medications on credit. ”
Anonymous - SA, Australia
“Having cancer treatment. You have to pay for medication at home except the ch no treatment ”
Anonymous - SA, Australia
“I'm a lot of tablets but lately some things have not been on pbs and there very expensive plus doctors whats me on vitamins that are not on pbs that are nit cheap it's hard my health fix car put petrol in car or can't get to doctors think Medicare should work out better way with doctors and others as now Medicare owes me 60.00 but they don't have my card number why can't it be done at the place your at us older people aren't all computer savy and that 60 in my pocket now is better than medicares”
Anonymous - SA, Australia
“As a diabetic I’m on 3 different medications in addition to needing to play for my constant glucose monitor. I’m also paying a premium for very low carbohydrate substitute foods as studies show this reduces spikes which hopefully means in the future I won’t go blind/lose a limb/have neuropathy - but these items like low carb bread are twice the price of normal bread. This all adds up to quite a lot noting I also have to routinely see the specialist and GP for my diabetes checkups every few months. The NDSS and PBS do not meet the needs of diabetics and for those that work hard to keep their blood sugar in range (to avoid creating more strain on Medicare later in life when they experience complications) they pay a hefty price. ”
Anonymous - ACT, Australia
“Medication is essential ”
Anonymous - VIC, Australia
“The cost of prescription medicines is outrageous now... I pay full price as I work and get no concessions...anything up to $40 a pkt for antibiotics”
Suzanne - Australia
“Okay, it shouldn't be a choice between medicines and food, however, one way that medicines can be made cheaper is if doctors don't mark the box brand substitution not permitted, and you have to buy a brand name instead of a generic. In some cases, you're paying for the name.”
Peter - Australia
“*Medicine comes first. It's keeping me alive. *Rent 2nd. Simply it's a roof over my head & somewhere out of the weather. * Food last. Just because I would like 3 meals a day doesn't mean that I have to have them. One a day is okay. One every 2nd day works too. I am obese. I've been told that I can't loose weight because I am in starvation mode. Apparently, I don't eat enough.”
Lucinda - NSW, Australia
“Rent or take your meds & live on the street with no food”
Debbie - Australia
“Pay the rent. As being homeless is scary.Then go out and beg for money for medications and have a sign up if you don't wish to give me money buy something I can eat.”
Christine - Australia
“Another broken promise from Albo. Most of my mothers script meds have increased in price. Brags he is for the ordinary people! A joke!”
Michelle - Australia
“I think the Pharmacy Guild should be lobbying the pharmaceutical companies to lower their prices of their medicines for the general public l.The government is already doing a lot to try and get as many medicines onto the PBS.Its the pharmaceutical companies that are the greedy ones.”
Marg - NSW, Australia
“it happens all the time , I personally had to cut few specialists due to high cost of it and also don't take all medications I need to or take it every second day! its sad situation but it is very true and its happening more and more in the suposingly rich country under ''excellent'' government!”
Marijana - VIC, Australia
“Yeah because we’re busy spending taxpayer dollars painting and decorating new roadworks, bridges, barriers etc. The amount of money in this state being wasted instead of hospitals and housing makes me sick”
Jo - Australia
“Massively failed health system in Perth”
Peter - Australia
“My children a grown up except my 15 year old. I had a massive stroke a 19 months ago & I have aneurism on my brain & the laying in bed paralysis we in hospital I now walk but in a lot of pain it has caused my pelvic to be out of place . So I’m seeing specialist left right & centre & I’ll never work again I know you get some back from Medicare when you see a specialist but I don’t have the $600 to start with & ndis won’t cover chiropractor but chiropractor has been the only one to put my pelvis back in place but it keeps slipping out it’s going to take time for my body to Learn to keep pelvic in place in meantime. My last 15 year old baby has to live with my adult daughter & husband because I carnt afford he’s needs & I starve myself to afford my chiropractor & quite often council my specialist appointments cause I don’t have the money up front at all. And now I’ve got 10 weeks to move out of my granny flat cause landlord is bankrupt he has to sell house which comes with my granny flat. I have no where to go my adult daughter lives in Port Steven’s of course I can go there & be with my son too. But it took me 17 months to find the right chiropractor & the osteopath & property rentals are more than what I get on disability’s & if I moved in with my daughter I’d have to travel 6 hours twice a week for my appointments. And God forbid if my son got sick ,really sick as in hospital sick I wouldn’t know what to do it’s absolutely ridiculous the money landlords are asking for rent. It’s all about greed my last place before my stroke had black mould under tiles a lot of repairs needed doing . But nothing ever got fixed even tho I organised a plumber to give me a quote on bathrm for landlord. He said he would e. Mail to him the unit is unlivable due to the black mould the bathroom needs everything stripped out . He gave letter to landlord nothing was ever done doors never got fixed carpet that was from the late 70s was decomposing the late 70 S kitchen was falling apart . When I left they hit me up for all of the things that were wrong when I first moved into the place it’s no wonder I didn’t have another massive stroke. I couldn’t imagine my child being very ill & not being able to afford he’s medicine, that’s every parents worse nightmare !”
Gail - Australia
“It is more about the cost of rent than medicine right now!”
Michael - Australia
“My mum works full time as an AIN and took on 2 extra kids when my sister passed . One of which requires medications that cost over a thousand a month and she gets nothing off Centrelink because they claim she earns too much .”
Katrina - Australia
“The expensive part is getting the script written.Many doctors charge $90-95 , which means $50 out of pocket where”
Geoffrey - Australia
“Go and see your local member. Yes it’s tough for many. This government has to go. Our hospitals are bursting at the seams and energy bills are devastating families!!!👎👎👎👎👎👎”
Sarah - Australia
“It is getting that way, meds going up and before long they will be $10 per script, mine were just over $5, now almost $8, this is what they are aiming for the big bucks - then it is decision time on what meds you well purchase and which one you will give the big miss. A big thank you to Airbus for that.”
Elizabeth - Australia
“That should not be a choice u should have both❤️❤️❤️”
Karen - Australia
“Cost of living is shocking. Coles & Woollies are hiking prices up by $3-$4 a time. Surely that must be illegal.I almost always shop at FOODLAND or Aldi now.”
Steffie - Australia
“PBS medicines in Australia cost up to $31.60 each. The same medicine is free in New Zealand.”
Jono - Australia
“The PBS helps countless Australians. Unfortunately, continued price rises combined with the ever-increasing cost of living are making vital medicines unaffordable for a huge proportion of the population.”
Affordable - Australia
“Thought this was posted from overseas. We are supposed to be the lucky country. I work in a library and was asked by a patron what he should do. He couldn't afford both his medications and his wife's. I sympathised and said he should talk to his doctor or pharmacist. He was so distressed ”
Anonymous - VIC, Australia
“I’m 60 year old I need for bills and foods ”
Anonymous - SA, Australia
“Alot of tough choices I had to make when it came to getting my medication and having money left over for food. It shouldnt be like this. ”
Kylie - TAS, Australia
“Paying higher medicine bill than last your I'm only on a diabity pension ”
Anonymous - TAS, Australia
“I have no money for petrol I live on a shoestring Last $spent ”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“l don’t know what to say ”
Anonymous - WA, Australia
“Feel bad about it so I really don't know”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“The costing of living now days are very hard for us low incomes that we get the more little pay rise we get the more everything goes up in price we find it very hard this is why so many people are on the streets because it's to high for us to afford to live”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“What I can say”
Anonymous - WA, Australia
“Would be nice have exact cash for food and help my grandson and myself being on a pension it hard”
Anonymous - WA, Australia
“its been very hard on psying for medicine thrse days the prices have gone throught the roof and its bullshit ”
robert - NSW, Australia
“A 58 year old on a disability pension. On 15 medications per day. 3 of those medications are not on the pbs. Always having to make a decision between medication or food.”
Sally - NSW, Australia
“I have had to scrounge enough to pay for medicine and some days have had to go without until I could afford to pay for it”
Anonymous - VIC, Australia
“My kid has been diagnosed with a rare metabolic disorder. Treatment (under care of paediatrician/metabolic specialist) cost is $4000/yr. Ongoing requirement for her health. No subsidy or financial assistance whatsoever. How are we going to sustain this expense? ”
Anonymous - VIC, Australia
“I am on a disability pension. Medications are over 100 dollars per month. Some for my mental health are not covered by pbs. ”
April - SA, Australia
“Stay healthy ”
Anonymous - WA, Australia
“My wife and I stay home 7 days a week I have massive medical problem food and medication have been hard pention dis pention needs to be raised properly.”
Anonymous - SA, Australia
“I am a single mother. After surgery to remove “abnormal cells” my doctor prescribed medicine to keep them from coming back. I couldn’t afford to take the medicine daily and feed my children. I chose food and now the cells are back and I need invasive surgery that will keep me off work for months. No one should have to chose between getting cancer and feeding their children. ”
Anonymous - WA, Australia
“Rent first food for us 2 next and medicine third. A fact of life. Thanks to our selfcentered PM who does not care at all.”
Anonymous - NSW, Australia
“I am a single mother with a one year old not receiving child support. My medications cost me $84 per month, already going without my asthma preventer and not including Panadol or teething gel my son will need that month. I have stopped taking my reflux medication due to cost and regularly go without my anti seizure or blood pressure medications so I can afford rent and basic foods.”
Tammy - SA, Australia
“I have often had to get my medication on credit because I can’t always afford them, then pay back the credit on Pension day. It is a struggle. Many medications are not covered on PBS and my health depends on those. I no longer have a car, or luxuries. Bare survival is all that I can manage.”
Christine - QLD, Australia
“When my kids need prescription medicines we often go without nutritious food to afford what they need to get better. It’s a bloody joke.”
Holly - VIC, Australia