Price, Equity Warnings Over Proposed PBS Changes
Proposed changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) could lead to the end of publicly funded medicines, an expert in law, medical ethics and human rights has warned.
In an article to be published online for the Medical Journal of Australia at 10am today, Dr Thomas Faunce of the Australian National University (ANU) says the proposed PBS changes have been influenced by multinational pharmaceutical companies and the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement.
He says the legislation could force medicine prices in Australia to mirror inequitable US trends, and eventually lead to the demise of public funding for drugs.
In a second article published online today, public health researchers at the ANU and Newcastle University argue that the changes would also undermine the evidenced-based approach to reference pricing currently used in the PBS.
Some brand-name drugs may no longer be compared with generic drugs designed to treat the same condition when reference pricing is set, said Professor David Henry and colleagues.
They propose a possible alternative approach to reform.
The full articles, along with an editorial by Dr Ken Harvey and colleagues about the same issue, can be found from 10am today at www.mja.com.au
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.