What is a Stronger PBS?
A stronger Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will ensure Australians can access the new medicines they need as soon as they are deemed safe and effective by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Currently, Australians can wait over a year to access new medicines, and sometimes they don’t come to Australia at all. Meaning you are not always able to access the best medicines available.
Why do we need a Stronger PBS?
A new frontier of medicines is giving hope to many Australians with debilitating or life-limiting conditions – conditions such as cancer and rare diseases. However, with no comprehensive reform in 30 years, our system to fund these medicines is struggling to evaluate them. This means Australians are missing out on safe and effective treatments and doctors are not always able to prescribe the medicines needed.
It is only with reform to the PBS that Australia will truly be able to lay claim to having the ‘best healthcare system in the world’.
How does the PBS help me and my family?
Every Australian will benefit from medicines delivered through the PBS during their lifetime. In fact, nearly two in three people currently living in Australia are taking at least one PBS medication.
Having access to the right medicine – the very best medicine – at the right time is vital. Without it, diseases often progress, quality of life suffers, and lives may be lost.