ALP commitment to PBS 'authority prescription' changes a step in the right direction
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that the AMA welcomes Labor’s election commitment to increase the number of medicines to be included in the PBS streamlined authority prescription process as another positive step towards the eventual phasing out of the scheme.
Dr Pesce said the AMA has been pushing for the scaling down and removal of the scheme for many years so that doctors would no longer be required to spend precious time seeking approval to prescribe pharmaceuticals for their patients.
“There is no justification on clinical or economic grounds for this red tape requirement to be retained,” Dr Pesce said.
“In its regular reviews into red tape, the Productivity Commission has recommended getting rid of the scheme.
“Today’s commitment to have the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommend more medicines for the streamlined authorities process will reduce the red tape burden for hardworking GPs.
“It means they will be able to spend more time with their patients.
“While this is a step in the right direction, we are confident that the next Government will see no clinical, safety or economic reason to retain any PBS approval requirements at all in the future,” Dr Pesce said.
20 July 2010
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