Government introduces bill to facilitate cheaper medicines
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
8 minutes ago
- ABC News
PBS wait times a more urgent issue than Donald Trump's potential pharmaceutical tariffs, peak medicines body warns
Excessive wait times for medicines to be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are a much greater threat to the sector than US President Donald Trump's far-reaching tariffs, according to the peak industry body, which has warned people could die waiting for treatment. The Albanese government is frantically working to shield Australia from Donald Trump's ever-expanding tariffs, with the US president now flagging a possible 250 per cent tariff on pharmaceuticals, one of Australia's largest export products to the US. "We'll be putting a, initially, small tariff on pharmaceuticals. But in one year … it's going to go to 150 per cent and then it's going to go to 250 per cent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country," Mr Trump told CNBC on Wednesday local time. But Medicines Australia CEO Liz de Somer said a more pressing concern was the process behind listing new medicines on the PBS, with a median wait time of 22 months for a new medicine to land on the scheme once it is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). "And this will have a far greater effect on the Australian system than anything else." When drugs are placed on the PBS, patients are able to receive important and sometimes lifesaving medicines at a small portion of the cost — currently just over $30. The rest of the cost is covered by the federal government. But patients, advocacy groups and pharmaceutical companies argue the process leading up to the PBS listing is overly complex, takes too long and involves excessive red tape. The first complete review of the system in 30 years was handed to the federal government last year, making a raft of recommendations to streamline processes so people could access medicines earlier. The recommendations included expanding access to medicines already subsidised for common cancers to other cancers, when that is backed by evidence. The review also concluded that if pharmaceutical companies applied to have their medications approved by the TGA and placed on the PBS at the same time, 90 per cent of promising new medicines could be listed within six months of TGA registration. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler heralded the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) review as "visionary" but has yet to formally respond to its findings, instead setting up an advisory group to help guide the government's next steps. Rare Cancers Australia CEO Christine Cockburn said urgent action was required, with many people unable to afford lifesaving medication that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. "They sometimes access superannuation, which of course that is not what superannuation is for, or they remortgage their houses. "Crowdfunding is not uncommon in cancer treatment spaces, which of course comes with a terrible loss of dignity. It's a terrible thing to have to do, and there are people as well who just have to go without because they can't do any of those things." The time it takes to list medications on the PBS is a long-held gripe of US pharmaceutical companies. They also argue the scheme's pricing policies undervalue American innovation and threaten billions of dollars in lost sales. In March, American medical giants pressed Donald Trump to target Australia with punitive tariffs, labelling the PBS as one of the "egregious and discriminatory" programs that undermines US exports. Labor has already categorically ruled out touching the PBS in any trade negotiations, and a raft of frontbenchers have consistently stressed the Trump administration could not exert any direct influence on the scheme. But the government remains concerned that frustrations over the PBS could see the Trump administration retaliate by hitting Australian pharmaceutical exports. Last year, Australia exported $2.2 billion in pharmaceutical products to the US — about 40 per cent of Australia's pharmaceutical exports — according to the UN's Comtrade database. Ms de Somer said the government could better negotiate with the US, while still protecting the PBS, if it followed recommendations from the review. "If the government committed to implement the reforms of the PBS that they have already identified need to happen, it would go some way to assuage the concerns raised by Donald Trump and the US pharmaceutical industry," she said. "Partly, it is about the time it takes for patients to get access to new medicines, and partly it is about valuing innovation and giving the right value to things that are new and transformative and change people's lives." Former chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which recommends medicines for the PBS, and chair of the review's implementation advisory group, Andrew Wilson, said the complexities of the system made it difficult to reform. "I don't think there's anybody involved in this process that doesn't want to see this happen faster," Professor Wilson said. "One of the challenges that we've had in the past is not that things haven't changed, but they've changed in a piecemeal fashion. They've changed little bits here and not there and the concern has been the extent to which those changes have actually improved the system, or just made it more complicated." However, Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston accused the government of dragging its feet in its response to the review. "We're sitting here now nearly 12 months after the review has been delivered to government and we have absolutely nothing more from the government," she said. Mr Butler said the implementation advisory group's final report was due early next year, and would help inform future government decisions on reform. "The Albanese government is continuing to make medicines available to Australian patients faster and cheaper," he said. "We know patients want faster access to cutting-edge medicine and treatments. "That's why our government is working through the recommendations of the HTA review, so Australians can get faster access to the best medicines and therapies, at a cost that patients and the community can afford."
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Bec Judd's best friend makes grim placenta confession
Jess Roberts has made a squeamish confession on the podcast she hosts with best friend Bec Judd. The co-host of Vain-ish on Wednesday admitted to frying and eating her sister-in-law's placenta. The TV presenter and influencer said she ate it after having her own placenta dried and put into capsules. It was actually my sister-in-law's. And even though I've had the dried, you know, the capsules. My sister-in-law gave birth to my little nephew. She wanted to cook it and have it in a different kind of form,' she told Judd. 'Anyway, they chopped it up. They put it in the wok. They put herbs and spices in it. Heaps and spices…garlic, everything!' According to Mayo Clinic, some people believe that eating a mother's placenta can prevent post-partum depression; ease bleeding after delivery; promote a healthy hormone balance in the body; improve mood, energy and milk supply; and provide important nutrients, such as iron. However, there's no evidence that eating the placenta has health benefits and can, in fact, be harmful. The Australian Therapeutic Goods Association actually advises expectant mothers to be aware of the potential risks associated with placenta consumption. The TGA warned that eating another person's placenta may increase those risks. 'Human placenta is a biological material and is capable of containing and transmitting infectious agents, including bacteria and viruses,' the TGA website stated. 'In addition, preparation may inadvertently introduce infectious agents. 'The risk of transmission may be even greater if your placenta is ingested by another person or you ingest another person's placenta.' Last week, Judd made headlines after revealing her incredible near-death story on live radio. Judd revealed the scary moment her parachute failed to open while skydiving on a date with her husband Chris Judd in Perth. She said she free-fell 'almost all the way to the ground' before an emergency parachute could be activated. 'We secretly went and did a skydive together in Perth when he was playing for West Coast and my parachute didn't open,' she told SAFM Breakfast with Bernie and Emma G.
9 News
10 hours ago
- 9 News
Push to make $300 vaccine free for thousands of Australians
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A leading health organisation is pushing the federal government to make the $300 RSV vaccine free for thousands of vulnerable Australians as case numbers for the highly-contagious virus climb across the country. The latest figures show nearly 120,000 cases of respiratory syncytial virus Australia-wide so far this year. The symptoms can be severe, according to Mater director of infectious diseases Professor Paul Griffin, with the virus landing some older adults in hospitals. A leading health organisation is pushing the federal government to make the $300 RSV vaccine free for thousands of vulnerable Australians. (9News) "Unfortunately a proportion of them don't survive," Griffin said. Anne Fidler, who picked the virus up from her granddaughter, had to manage several symptoms. "I had headaches, I had a wheezing in my chest, a bit of a runny nose," Fiddler said. Fidler deteriorated quickly due to an existing lung condition and had to seek specialist support. "Trying to get breath into my lungs, which was the hard part, that I thought this is not normal," Fidler said. Across Australia, a free RSV vaccination is available for pregnant women that will protect newborn babies, who can also receive an immunisation product if their mothers haven't had the vaccine. For anyone else, a vaccine costs around $300. "The vaccine works tremendously well reducing the consequences of RSV infection in older adults and particularly those who are most vulnerable," Griffin said. "There are lots of groups that would really like to see this vaccine funded." This includes the Lung Foundation whose members are having to pay for protection. "We encourage the Australian government to add the RSV vaccination to the national immunisation program for those that it is clinically recommended," Lung Foundation CEO Mark Brooke said. There are three RSV vaccines currently approved for Australians 60 years and over, but in order to be placed on the free National Immunisation Program they need to be considered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. The committee has recommended public funding for Pfizer's vaccine for people 75 and older, plus eligible Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander adults, but it has not been listed yet due to concerns over cost-effectiveness. The company said it was actively working with the Department of Health. Two other companies GlaxoSmithKline and Moderna have confirmed they have lodged funding submissions to the committee. In the meantime, vulnerable Australians are being urged to take care. "Wearing a mask, or staying away from your family members when they are unwell, are all little precautions that we can take that go a long way to keeping you safe," Brooke said. CONTACT US
