Industry PBS collaboration
May 11, 2012
THE Medicines Partnership of
Australia is calling for a discussion
between industry and Government
on longer term issues relating to
the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme, including a calibration of
data and statistics on the PBS to
ensure everyone is on the same
page when they analyse the
scheme.
“The PBS is so demonstrably
under control, now is a good time
for the combined industry and
government to have a discussion,”
said the Medicines Partnership,
which is made up of The Pharmacy
Guild, Medicines Australia, the
GMiA, ASMI, the Pharmaceutical
Society of Australia and the National
Pharmaceutical Services Association.
The comments follow the
Government’s decision to leave the
PBS alone in its most recent Federal
Budget, a decision which the
Partnership commended, saying
that the PBS reforms are working.
“Compared with the estimates
released in last year’s Budget, the
new estimates show that the
Government will spend $2.1 billion
less over the four years to 30 June
2015 on PBS drugs across the
General, Concessional and
Repatriation categories,” the
Partnership said.
“This is in addition to the $1.9
billion in savings booked last year
as a result of the Memorandum of
Understanding with Medicines
Australia and the $1 billion in
savings (over five years) flowing
from the Fifth Community
Pharmacy Agreement with the
Pharmacy Guild of Australia,” the
Partnership added.
The Partnership also said
Department of Health and Ageing
Portfolio Budget Statements which,
stated that “prescription volume
forecasts take into account lower
than expected actual medicines
usage” also prove the reforms are
working.
According to the Partnership this
lower demand has resulted in
volume estimates being reduced by
a total of 57 million prescriptions
over the four years to 30 June 2015.
“The PBS reforms are working -
the Government is on track to save
more than $1.9 billion dollars over
the forward estimates and the
current lack of (real) growth
reinforces the industry’s long-held
position that PBS is well under
control and very good value for
money,” the Partnership said.
“The savings from the PBS are
funding improved access to new
and existing therapies for patients
as well as important initiatives
elsewhere in the health budget,”
the Partnership added.
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