PBS
PBS price disclosure cuts to hit this weekend
More than 1100 medicine brands are lined up for price reductions of up to 30% beginning this weekend From 1 April, commonly prescribed medicines including rosuvastatin, diclofenac, fentanyl transdermal patches, …
“Common sense” changes passed by Senate
The Senate has passed a bill of changes for pharmacists covering disaster processes, date of death entitlements The National Health Amendment (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Bill 2016 was passed by the Senate …
We love you!
Consumer support for pharmacy is strong, but there are issues looming, report reveals The 2017 iteration of the Health Futures Report reveals strong levels of support for, and knowledge of …
An agenda for change
Overhaul pharmacists role and deregulate ownership, report chief suggests The basic health care role of pharmacists needs to be overhauled, says the author of a report calling for an overhaul …
The role of pharmacists should be overhauled, taking the heat off GPs
While medicines prices should be cut, pharmacists could also do more than they currently do, writes Grattan Institute director Stephen Duckett Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute A Grattan Institute …
How to slash half a billion dollars a year from Australia’s drugs bill
How to slash half a billion dollars a year from Australia’s drugs bill Jonathan Karnon, University of Adelaide; Laura C Edney, University of Adelaide, and Michael Sorich, Flinders University Australia …
Cost a barrier to scripts for 1.8 million
The number of people deferring access to prescribed medication due to cost has remained steady, at 7.6% of the population The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services 2016 found that …
Regulatory revelations
New PBS listings from special meeting revealed, while the TGA warns on a new product shortage A special meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in December 2016 …
Price disclosure strikes again
The latest round of PBS price disclosure cuts has been publicly released A range of common medications are included in the April 2017 round of reductions, released yesterday, with some …
Reform the PBS, consumer group demands
Government should scrap co-pay increases and move to electronic recording, CHF says The Federal Government should reform the PBS safety net so consumers with high usage of PBS medicines have …
Codeine upscheduled
Codeine-containing OTC preparations will be upscheduled due to concerns about its abuse Codeine upscheduling decision fails consumers, says the Guild, this morning following the announcement. The decision to upschedule medicines …
First new asthma treatment in a decade
There is new hope for those with “difficult to treat” asthma in the new year, with breakthrough biologic to be PBS listed on 1 Jan Nucala (mepolizumab) is the first …