Earlier this year the Australian Government approved a number of temporary changes to medicines regulation to ensure Australians could continue to access the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines they need, as the COVID-19 outbreak unfolded.

New temporary measures where introduced to improve access to medicines, reduce the burden on GPs and support social distancing and self-isolation.

Those measures included:

* Continued dispensing arrangements for the ongoing supply PBS subsidised medicines without a prescription will be extended to 30 June 2020.

* A home delivery service for PBS and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) medicines is now in place.

* Ongoing work with pharmacists, GPs and the States and Territories to allow medicine substitution by the pharmacist in the event of a shortage.

* Restrictions on the quantity of medicines that could be purchased to prevent unnecessary medicine stockpiling.

The monthly 'Home delivery service' payment has been extended to next March but some believe it should become permanent.