National Rural Health Alliance Chief Executive Susanne Tegen spoke to The Medical Republic (TMR) on 14 February 2023 and highlighted the shortages of some vital medications in regional, rural and remote Australia.
Ms Tegen told TMR that this came as 'no surprise' but was 'frustrating and unfair'.
'Almost 30 per cent of the population lives in rural, regional and remote areas, and they have contributed significantly to the economy – to tourism, exports and the GDP – and yet rural and remote Australians are not even getting equitable health care at the best of times,' Ms Tegen said.
'Rural Australians already have worse health outcomes than people in the cities.
'The [medicine supply] situation is worsening – there are over 300 critical medications now in short supply and people outside the big cities are the ones at most disadvantage,' Ms Tegen added.
Here’s the full report: medicalrepublic.com.au/drug-shortages-hitting-bush-hardest/85787