Pharmacy Daily | $20m threshold locked in

Federal health minister Peter Dutton has announced that the government will “fast-track approvals of medicines that have received a positive recommendation for funding” by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. Under the new process, Dutton will be able to approve medicines that would cost the government $20 million or less to subsidise in each of the first four years. It’s the fulfilment of an election commitment, and reverses the former Labor government policy which held up medicines approvals in Cabinet. “The Coalition Government is streamlining approvals processes to improve access for patients and give business more certainty,” Dutton said. In 2001 the Howard Government established a $10 million threshold to streamline approvals for new medicines, but this initiative was abandoned by the Rudd-Gillard administration, “to the detriment of sick Australians. “The Coalition Government has not only restored, but increased the threshold which will mean that more patients can access new and improved medicines sooner and at an affordable price,” Dutton said. Medicines Australia welcomed the move, with ceo Brendan Shaw saying the policy change had been advocated by the industry for a number of years. “It is a common sense administrative change that improves the PBS listing process,” Shaw said. He said companies would benefit from greater predictability, while the new procedure would also give the government more efficient processes “and ultimately good news for patients who’ll get access to new medicines sooner. “Together with the new PBS listings announced earlier this week, this announcement shows the government understands the importance of a predictable policy approach to the PBS,” Shaw added.

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