New co-payment medication subsidy for Indigenous patients in Queensland

Dechlan Brennan Published February 21, 2024 at 3.45pm (AWST)

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Executive Director Sherry Holzapfel says the BTMA program has been successful (Image: Metro North Health)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients across Queensland will be able to access a statewide medication co-payment subsidy in all public hospitals in a concerted effort to close the gap and improve health amongst the state's often vulnerable Indigenous population.

Modelled on the successful Better Together Medication Access Program (BTMA), which was introduced at Metro North Health in 2020 and initially only covered discharge prescription medications, the new co-payment subsidy will build on the BTMA statistics which saw a 50 per cent decrease in readmission rates for self-identified consumers.

Queensland sees a significant gap in life-expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, with a difference of 7.4 years for males and 7.0 years for females compared to the non-Indigenous population.

Metro North Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health executive director Sherry Holzapfel said 18,000 medication items have already been covered under BTMA.

"The program is a great example of how, through innovative system enhancements and investments, we can have a profound impact on improving the long-term health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," the Yidinji woman said.

She said re-admissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge had dropped by 50 per cent Indigenous patients since the program was implemented.

"This is suggestive of patients being kept healthier for longer after discharge, and therefore not needing to come back to hospital," Ms Holzapfel said.

She also noted since BTMA was introduced, it has been accessed 5,700 times on discharge - an average of five per day.

Indigenous patients are given the option upon admission to a Metro North Health facility to opt-in to the BTMA program. If so, they can receive their medication from a Metro North Health pharmacy with no out-of-pocket cost.

In Metro North, BTMA will be expanded to include outpatient prescription medications as Indigenous patients who access Queensland Health will have access to medications dispensed by the department's public hospital pharmacies.