Australian Health Minister will not reverse PBS drug listing decision

Australia’s Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon has refused to back down from the government's decision to defer the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing of critical drugs.

The decision was made after Ms Roxon attended a roundtable conference co-hosted by an alliance of the Consumers Health Forum, a number of other peak health consumer organizations, the Australian Medical Association, Medicines Australia and the Generic Medicines Industry Association to hear their concerns about the government’s plan to delay indefinitely the listing of new medicines on the PBS.

Ms Roxon had indicated the government would reserve its right to continue deferring decisions about medicines recommended for listing on the PBS, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. There are seven medicines and one vaccination including treatments for schizophrenia, lung disease and blood clots awaiting listing, with a further seven recommended for inclusion by the expert Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC).