MEDICINES Australia has asked the government to provide more detailed reporting of PBS expenditure, breaking down the data to allow better information on the various areas of the supply chain including manufacturers, prescribers, wholesalers, pharmacists and patients.
The move is one of the initiatives suggested in the organisation's 2017-18 budget submission, which says currently information on forward estimates of PBS spending is "very tightly restricted, limited to a few broad PBS expense categories".
MA says such a move would make information about changes to the PBS more transparent and thereby enable better outcomes in public policy.
The paper also urges the integration of "big health data" into long-term reporting frameworks, via an "open-source government data program" to gather information which would help improve decision making - and highlight the ongoing value of innovative medicines to Australia's health system.
Other government priorities urged by the peak pharmaceutical body include committing to a period of policy stability so current PBS projections remain accurate, and an upgrade of Therapeutic Goods Administration technology systems to support the regulatory reforms under the Medicines and Medical Devices Review (MMDR).
MA's submission also offers suggestions relating to boosting research collaboration, marketing the value of clinical trials in Australia in global markets, and the creation of a central point of reference to nationally harmonise clinical trials regulation.
View the full MA submission at www.medicinesaustralia.com.au.
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