THE controversial Grattan Institute report claiming the government could be saving $500 million annually by changing the way it pays for medicines (PD yesterday) continues to attract strong industry responses.
Medicines Australia (MA)condemned the report as "inaccurate, selective and misleading," with MA ceo Milton Catelin saying it relies on a "tiny sample of medicines that have no correlation to the system-wide savings being generated through years of PBS reforms".
Likewise CSO wholesalers have labelled the Grattan Institute's latest report as "a simplistic response to a complex problem".
National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA) chair and Sigma Pharmaceuticals ceo Mark Hooper said the report showed little understanding of the enormous pressure on the pharmaceutical supply chain system, which is unsustainable in its current form due to PBS price reforms.
The Generic and Biosimilars Medicines Association noted the selective analysis in the report, which also fails to acknowledge almost $21 billion in savings from price cuts already imposed through price disclosure - the largest single savings contribution ever secured by the govt from any industry.
However the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia was a lone voice in support of the report, saying its recommendations could help ensure more Australians have access to affordable medicines - as well as expanding community access to Home Medicines Reviews.
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