THE Health Department yesterday unveiled the latest round of price reductions under the ongoing process of PBS reform, with the release of indicative prices under the 2017 April Cycle of Price Disclosure.
This time it's the second "remove originator" cycle and only lists those drugs taking a price disclosure reduction, with the percentage drop between Oct 16 and Apr 17 included on the spreadsheet along with ex-manufacturer level pricing.
The biggest hits were taken by chemotherapy agent pemetrexed powder for injection with an 84.74% drop; telmisartan with hydrochlorothiazide, down 42.23%; candesartan with hydrochlorothiazide which becomes 35.56% cheaper and what began as AstraZeneca's blockbuster statin, rosuvastatin, losing 35.56%.
Some other notable inclusions in the list are amlodopine, celecoxib, diclofenac, escitalopram, esomeprazole, metoprolol, omeprazole, sertraline and sildenafil.
For sponsors of F2 combination items, calculations are currently being completed for flow-on price disclosure reductions.
If an F2 combination item did not receive a direct price disclosure reduction, the department explained it may still receive a price cut as a result of the flow-on of the price of a component ingredient reduction.
Indicative prices for 01 Apr will be published late Jan and final prices available early Mar.
See www.pbs.gov.au.
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