Updated June 28, 2018 07:53:55 The Government is encouraging all Australians to take a blood pressure test, with the aim of reducing the cost of the tests.
Key points:Families with children under the age of five will be given free blood testsA review of the national pharmacare program found some people who needed medication for heart disease and other conditions were paying too much for the medicationThey also recommended some older people who had lost control of their blood pressure could be advised to consider taking medication.
The review was commissioned by the Commonwealth Government and led by Professor David Macfarlane, the former head of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We know that many of the patients in this review were not getting the treatment they needed, so they have been advised to seek additional treatment for their blood pressures,” he said.
The Government said the blood pressure drugs used in the blood tests had lower concentrations of the blood thinner, acetyl-l-carnitine, compared with those used in normal blood pressure testing.
“Our research has shown that a lot of the people in this study were not receiving the appropriate medication to reduce their blood levels of this blood thinner,” Professor Macfendale said.
“In this study, we also found that some people were actually paying more for the medications they needed than others.”
Dr Andrew Brown, a professor at Melbourne’s Deakin University, said the free tests were a welcome move.
“The Government has recognised that many older Australians have had their blood rates lowered by taking medication, and that they are now looking to help them by allowing them to take the free blood pressures test,” he told the ABC.
“This is a very good thing and it gives them a little bit of hope, and hopefully it will lead to a reduction in their bloods pressure levels.”
I think the blood pressures are still very low among older people, but they’re a lot lower than they used to be, so I think we need to be mindful of that.
“Dr Brown also said that some older Australians had not had a chance to start the prescription-based medication program, known as Medicare, in many cases because they were not on it for life.”
There is a lot more of this kind of thing going on in the community, where people are on the prescription drugs for life and they’re not getting a chance,” he added.
Dr Brown said the Government was still working to reduce the cost and increase the availability of blood pressure medication for older Australians, who often have to work longer hours and take on more health risks.”
It is not just about reducing the price of medication.
It is also about making sure that we can deliver the best possible outcomes for older people,” he explained.
The free tests will be available to anyone over the age a five, with a limit of two per person.
For more on the coronavirus outbreak, see the ABC’s coronaviruses section.
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