E-drug: Australian PBS and first national medicines policy?
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Friends,
Below is the latest instalment from the Sydney Morning Herald on the
Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
The reference to the launch of the first national medicines policy is a
complete surprise to me.
I thought we have had a national medicines policy for years. I disliked
it and did offer to help the PHARM committee to re write it. It
appears that the journalist was so unimpressed that he did not bother
to report anything about the contents of the policy.
If any e-drug participant knows anything about what is going on
(apparently behind closed doors) would they please enlighten us?
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[distributed as fair use. HH]
Labels to reveal the real cost of drugs
By MARK METHERELL in Canberra
Prescribed medicines may be labelled with their actual cost to alert
consumers to the real price of Australia's $3 billion pharmaceutical
subsidies.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Aged Care, Senator
Tambling, said yesterday he was attracted to the idea because the
cost of prescriptions was often many times what consumers actually
paid.
''That would make, I think, every customer well aware, if they are
getting a $68 drug for $3.20, that they have just received a $64
subsidy,'' Senator Tambling said.
But he denied it was a way of softening up the public for higher prices
or cutting Federal subsidies.
''There is no intent at this stage, that I'm aware of anyway, to review
the current arrangements,'' he said.
His remarks come as the Government considers reviewing the
management of the pharmaceutical benefits system. This follows
pressure from the pharmaceutical industry over the comparatively low
prices the Federal Government - as the monopoly buyer of drugs in
Australia - pays to manufacturers.
Senator Tambling said he would discuss the labelling scheme with the
Pharmacy Guild as part of the review of the pharmacy agreement with
the Commonwealth. It would be a relatively straightforward change,
only requiring changes to pharmacists' computers.
Sernator Tambling was speaking at the launch of Australia's first
national medicines policy, aimed at ensuring optimum access to
quality medicines, a rational funding system and a viable local
medicine industry.
He said the call to review decisions - by the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Advisory Committee (PBAC) - to disallow subsidies for the
anti-addiction drug Naltrexone and the impotence drug Viagra had
created media interest which was ''doing the community a favour''.
It focused attention on two ''huge issues'': the need for quality
medicines and the appropriate level of government subsidy.
Senator Tambling said he had completed a report on the processes
and membership of the PBAC, which he had handed to the Health
Minister, Dr Wooldridge .
He would not reveal the findings of his report but said changes were
likely in the long-term composition of the committee and how people
were nominated.
The chairman of the Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council,
Professor Lloyd Sansom, said Australia was served extremely well by
the pharmaceutical benefits process.
While refinements in that process might be needed, he said, he
strongly supported the current composition of highly qualified experts
on the PBAC.
regards,
Peter
Dr Peter Mansfield
Director, MaLAM (Medical Lobby for Appropriate Marketing)
peter.mansfield@flinders.edu.au
www.camtech.net.au/malam
PO Box 172 Daw Pk SA 5041 Australia
ph/fax +61 8 83742245
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