FAQs
Why should Australia invest in new medicines?
For all Australians, access to the right medicine – the very best medicine – at the right time is vital. Without it, diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes can progress, quality of life suffers, and lives may be lost.
New treatment options not only keep people healthier for longer, they also take pressure off our Medicare system and our hospitals. For example, in 2019, the use of medication, and a reduction in hospital use, saved our hospital system $5.97 billion.¹
With our health system currently under significant stress, we need the best treatments to keep Australians healthy, out of hospital, and take pressure off Medicare.
Do Australians have a say in what medicines should be available?
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) includes a consumer representative to ensure the experience and expectations of patients inform the assessment process.
Additionally, Australians can provide views about any medicine being considered by making a submission through the Office of Health Technology - Citizen Space.
How long does it take for a medicine to become available in Australia?
As a nation, we often wait three to four times longer to access medicines when compared to people in similar countries. In Australia, it takes on average 466 days - over a year - for safe and effective medicines to be made available for patients through the PBS. Many though aren’t brought to Australia at all.
How much faster could access be?
Based on the experiences of similar countries to Australia, the Stronger PBS campaign wants to reduce wait times for medicines to 60 days.
Would faster access compromise the safety of new medicines?
No. In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is responsible for assessing, approving, and monitoring medicines to ensure they are safe and effective. This will not change.
What we need to change is the time it takes to evaluate and subsidise new medicines on the PBS after they have been approved by the TGA.
What is the Australian Government doing to make this process faster?
The Australian Government has commissioned an Independent Review of the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) evaluation systems that we use to recommend the medicines we should fund. This evaluation process hasn’t been comprehensively reviewed in over 30 years and is struggling to keep up with advances in technology.
This means your doctor isn’t always able to prescribe the medicine you need.
This HTA Review has identified 50 recommendations to ensure Australians have faster access to the best medicines when we need them. The Australian Government needs to implement the recommendations as soon as possible.
To deliver medicines faster, do we need to invest more in the PBS?
Australia is currently reviewing the HTA – the system we use to evaluate and recommend the medicines that are subsidised on the PBS. The HTA process hasn’t been comprehensively reviewed in over 30 years and is struggling to keep up with advances in technology.
Important reforms with further government investment in the PBS will ensure Australians will have faster access to the best medicines when we need it.
Investing in faster, more efficient access to new medicines will not only keep Australians healthier for longer, it can also take pressure off our Medicare system and our hospitals and boost productivity.
Productivity is linked to quality of life and a person’s ability to function and participate as a member of society. Early diagnosis and treatment with newer and better therapies play an important role in delivering quality care more efficiently – to better support a healthy population and a healthy economy
Who is behind the StrongerPBS campaign, and why is this important?
The Stronger PBS campaign has been developed by Medicines Australia.
Medicines Australia advocates for better health through research and innovation, and represents the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Australia.
Medicines Australia is committed to helping all Australians access the best medicines available, when they need them.
Our treasured PBS has been helping Australians access affordable medicines for more than 75 years and is a cornerstone of our health system; however it is 30 years since the PBS was comprehensively reviewed.
In that time, science and medicines have transformed but our process for listing medicines on the PBS has not kept pace.
Australians deserve a Stronger PBS, that is faster, fairer and fit for the future.
We are not advocating to reduce the time it takes to ensure medicines are deemed to be safe and effective, which is undertaken by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. StrongerPBS wants to reduce the wait time to list a medicine on the PBS, once it has been approved.
How can I get involved in the Stronger PBS Campaign?
There are several ways you can make a difference and become a champion for the Stronger PBS Campaign:
Send a letter to a parliamentarian to let them know Australians deserve a faster, fairer and fit for the future PBS.
Sign up to the Campaign. We need a big community of champions and you’ll receive eNewsletter updates and opportunities to make a difference.
Read the personal stories of patients whose lives could be improved by a StrongerPBS.
Like and share content from our social pages with your network.
Share your story and experience with the PBS with us at StrongerPBS@medicinesaustralia.com.au.
References:
Lichtenberg 2023, The Effect of New Medicines Provided by the PBS on Mortality and Hospital Utilisation in Australia, 2002-2019