Changes made to recent opioid reforms Annual secondary review requirements have been relaxed, easing access concerns for palliative care patients.
Children overprescribed combination asthma medication: Study The medication should not be the first line of treatment in children – and for those aged five or under it should not be prescribed at all.
Greater access to ‘life changing’ asthma drugs on PBS Patients with mild and severe forms of asthma now have wider access to effective treatment, helping to curb anxiety amid the pandemic.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme updates to start 2020 The safety net threshold has been lowered, while a new drug that provides a treatment option for patients with advanced breast cancer has been added.
People experiencing psoriasis and asthma receive PBS relief Patients with urea cycle disorder will also benefit from the new round of listings.
‘Game changing’ cancer drugs listed on the PBS Thousands of Australians with non-small cell lung cancer and early-stage acute lymphoblastic leukaemia will have access to better treatment options.
Cystic fibrosis drug listed on PBS While the announcement was welcomed, some have questioned the seven month delay between approval and listing.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Council responds to criticism Chair Andrew Wilson said suggestions of delayed approvals are not new and Australia has one of ‘the fastest systems in the world’.
Thousands to benefit from new PBS listings Medicines to treat lung cancer, lymphoblastic and acute leukaemia, and chemotherapy-associated nausea will be available on the PBS from October.
Advocates hail ‘game changing’ PBS listing of buprenorphine Harm-reduction advocates have long called for an end to the surprisingly high cost of opioid substitution therapy.