THE Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) has welcomed the news that six common drugs used to treat breast cancer can now be prescribed and dispensed for 60 days on a single prescription.
The drugs include common types of hormone-blocking therapies such as letrozole, anastrozole and tamoxifen, among others, which combined represented almost one million individual prescriptions in the 2023 calendar year.
These drugs are included in the second tranche of over 300 medicines that have moved to 60-Day Dispensing (60DD) since the policy was announced in Sep last year.
BCNA Director Policy, Advocacy & Support Services Vicki Durston said allowing these vital drugs to be prescribed for 60 days saves consumers hundreds of dollars.
"It is especially important that we work to reduce the cost of hormone-blocking therapies for breast cancer as some are required for 10 years or more after active treatment finishes," Durston said.
In its 2017 report, BCNA reported the average out-of-pocket cost relating to breast cancer at around $5,000, but with some as high as $21,000.
"Reducing the ongoing cost of these drugs is one way we can start to address financial toxicity and improve equity."
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