Let patients help decide if drugs deserve funding, Australian report says

Patients should get more of a say on the drugs that their taxes pay for, states one of the recommendations in a report launched in Australia on Monday.

The Broadening the Evidence report was commissioned by pharma major Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and makes nine recommendations about how best to involve patients in discussions on what treatments should be reimbursed through Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Report recommendations include e-alerts to advise when a medicine is being considered for the PBS, master classes on how medicines are evaluated for reimbursement and inviting patient advocates to attend consultations prior to key meetings on which medicines should be recommended for PBS listing.