# \[e-drug\] Media Release: USA undermines access to medicines in Australia & the Pacific
**URL:** https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-media-release-usa-undermines-access-to-medicines-in-australia-the-pacific/36288
**Category:** e-drug
**Created:** [October 25, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-media-release-usa-undermines-access-to-medicines-in-australia-the-pacific/36288 "2011-10-25T01:18:18Z")
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### Author:  [@Deborah\_Gleeson](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/Deborah_Gleeson)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-media-release-usa-undermines-access-to-medicines-in-australia-the-pacific/36288/1 "2011-10-25T01:18:18Z")
E-DRUG: Media Release: USA undermines access to medicines in Australia & the Pacific
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MEDIA RELEASE
[http://www.phaa.net.au/documents/111025\_United%20States%20undermines%20access%20to%20medicines%20in%20Australia%20and%20Pacific.pdf](http://www.phaa.net.au/documents/111025_United%20States%20undermines%20access%20to%20medicines%20in%20Australia%20and%20Pacific.pdf)
[The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement is a 'Free Trade
Agreement' that involves Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.]
Leaked proposals for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement
confirm United States (US) efforts to undermine access to medicines in
Australia and the Pacific, according to the Public Health Association of
Australia (PHAA) and the Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network
(AFTINET). "The Australian public should be concerned about the effects
secret trade discussions being conducted in Peru this week could have on
the affordability of medicines in Australia and other countries in the
Asia Pacific region," said PHAA Spokesperson Dr Deborah Gleeson.
Leaked texts outlining US proposals for the TPP free trade agreement
confirm earlier reports that the US is seeking to include provisions
that would raise the cost of medicines, extend the monopoly rights of
pharmaceutical companies over life-saving drugs and place new
restrictions on pharmaceutical reimbursement programs like Australia's
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
"These sorts of provisions have no place in trade agreements. The
operation of the PBS and similar schemes in other countries should not
be determined by international trade rules that can override domestic
policies," said AFTINET Convenor Dr Patricia Ranald.
The TPP Agreement is a proposed regional trade agreement involving
Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the
United States and Vietnam.
A leaked document entitled /Annex on Transparency and Procedural
Fairness for Healthcare Technologies/ contains clauses that require
schemes like the PBS to reimburse drug companies based on 'competitive
market-derived prices' that 'appropriately recognize the value' of
patented drugs and medical devices, and to establish procedures to
enable drug companies to apply for increased reimbursement. "Such
clauses extend the power of drug companies to determine drug prices and
reduce the ability of governments to keep prices low for consumers," Dr
Gleeson explained.
"This is not about transparency or fairness, but about extending
pharmaceutical companies' ability to negotiate higher prices. The
chapter also mandates countries to permit the direct marketing of
prescription drugs to consumers and health professionals via the
internet, a practice which may contribute to overprescribing. Other
chapters also include provisions that will extend monopoly rights for
pharmaceutical companies and delay the introduction of cheaper generic
versions of medicines.
"If the US succeeds in getting these provisions into the trade
agreement, this will be a major setback to global efforts to reduce the
burden of non-communicable diseases, which are predicted by the World
Health Organization to kill 44 million people per year by 2020.
Medicines to treat conditions like cancer and hypertension, for example,
will become unaffordable for much of the world's population," said Dr
Gleeson.
"Australians should demand that the negotiating texts are made available
for public scrutiny and debate. Any international agreements that have
such big implications for health and social policy should be determined
through democratic processes," added Dr Ranald.
For further information/comment:
Deborah Gleeson, Spokesperson for the Public Health Association of
Australia: +61 423 209 029 \
Dr Patricia Ranald, Convenor, Australian Fair Trade and Investment
Network: +61 419 695 841 \
The leaked texts are available from
[http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/blog/2011/10/22/leaked-trans-pacific-fta-texts-reveal-u-s-undermining-access-to-medicine/](http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/blog/2011/10/22/leaked-trans-pacific-fta-texts-reveal-u-s-undermining-access-to-medicine/)
Deborah Gleeson MPH PhD
Research Fellow
School of Public Health and Human Biosciences
La Trobe University VIC 3086
National Convener
Political Economy of Health Special Interest Group
Public Health Association of Australia
Deborah Gleeson \