PBS
War of words over PBS reform
Medicines underspend is helping prop up our budget surplus, says pharmacist MP as parties take potshots over PBS bill There was acrimonious debate in Federal Parliament last week over proposed …
Dosing on the agenda
Decision on PPI double dosing deferred by PBAC, but support given to antibiotic listing changes The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has deferred a decision on whether to allow twice …
‘Pharmacies compete fiercely on script prices.’
The current system benefits patients and drives competition on medicines, argues this community pharmacist The main features of the Australian Healthcare system are the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and the …
Not the desired effect
Restrictions on alprazolam prescribing have failed to curb usage, with sales of bigger packs on the increase Measures introduced in 2017 to prevent potentially harmful usage of alprazolam have failed …
PBS dispensing a ‘very effective’ public-private partnership?
Call for Federal, State and Territory governments to work together to promote pharmacists’ role, and ‘nurture’ the 5700-strong community pharmacy network The PBS is a strong system of universal access …
Hard bargaining
The Federal Government is planning on having the Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement signed, sealed and delivered by the end of the year, a senior bureaucrat says Speaking at the Pharmacy …
New listings
The Health Minister has announced new PBS listings from 1 September, including a morphine drug and a drug to help manage opioid dependence Greg Hunt has announced that the Morrison …
Show me the money
PBS a huge area of savings compared to other government-administered services including medical and hospital costs Costs of essential goods and services are climbing at twice the rate of inflation, …
New listings
Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced four medicine listings through the PBS from 1 August Mr Hunt says that the Morrison Government will invest $56 million in subsiding the medicines, …
Still on the wish list
Are two month prescriptions back on the government’s agenda? Recommendations made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) that prescription lengths be doubled to two months for a range of medicines …
Dilemma delayed
Under fire hospital pharmacy budget measure postponed for three months Plans to align PBS wholesale mark-up arrangements between hospital and community pharmacy have been pushed back for three months. The …
Keeping up supply
Wholesalers win bipartisan support in election run-up The National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA) has welcomed recent commitments by both major parties to the future of the pharmaceutical supply chain ahead …