AMA Supports ALP FTA PBS Conditions
AMA Vice President, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, today welcomed the decision of the Federal ALP caucus to support for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US subject to legislative amendments to safeguard the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Dr Haikerwal said the right of generic pharmaceuticals to be marketed as soon as the originator patent expires must be guaranteed.
"This legislation should ensure that the FTA does not undermine the PBS," Dr Haikerwal said.
"The AMA also supports the moves announced by Opposition Leader Mark Latham to ensure greater public transparency of the PBS by publishing most information on the internet, and by requiring each successful use of the independent review mechanism to be reported to Parliament in a Ministerial statement," he said.
The AMA welcomes:
· the proposal for the Productivity Commission to monitor and report annually on the impact of the FTA on the PBS with particular focus on the impact of pharmaceutical prices in Australia, and
· the proposal to include a commitment to the principle of universal access to affordable medicines in the terms of reference for the Medicines Working Group to be comprised of federal health officials from Australia and the US.
"These changes are sensible ones which will give effect to the Government's assurances that the FTA will not harm Australia's internationally-admired PBS," Dr Haikerwal said.
"These safeguards must be in place before Australia signs off on the FTA.
"However, more work needs to be done in the implementation stages of the FTA. For example, we need to know exactly what information submitted to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) will not be public information.
"The AMA strongly believes that any decisions to make data confidential should be the exception rather than the rule.
"PBS listing decisions must be transparent, including the data submitted to PBAC by the pharmaceutical companies and PBAC recommendations, reviews, and responses to those reviews.
"Access to this information will help doctors make better care decisions. Better transparency will help doctors evaluate the effectiveness of medicines.
"Decision-making about drugs listed on the PBS must be genuinely transparent to protect the long-term viability of the PBS," Dr Haikerwal said.