LATEST NEWS
Senate Order elicits briefing that shows testimony to Senate Committee was not consistent with advice to Minister.
The documents submitted by the Hon Mark Butler MP to the Senate this afternoon show that he was briefed on DEFERRALS on 2 October 2024, and that medicines have been deferred before without public consultation.
Government and industry have to stop hiding the truth from patients about what’s happening in our health access system. Click here to read the full document.
HTA review will deliver savings but not better access
The HTA review and its accompanying selected consumer views report was finally released to the community on 10 September 2024 - a product of secrecy and exclusion of all but pharmaceutical companies and a handful of privileged patient groups and consultants.
BAA supports the Review’s aspiration to end the pricing games between pharmaceutical companies and the Government which are denying patients access and costing people’s lives. Sadly, the majority of the recommendations in this report will not achieve improvement in access to medicines, diagnostics and devices in Australia. Read more in our media release here.
Patients welcome better access to shingles vaccine for immunocompromised patients
Better Access Australia and AusPIPS Inc have welcomed the expanded access to subsidised Shingrix® for immunocompromised patients via the National Immunisation Program (NIP) from 30 August 2024. Read more in our media release here.
PM puts kids at risk to buy a vote
Better Access Australia urged a wake-up call to stop the legitimisation of a dangerous unregulated nicotine product being sold as healthcare to our children, all to buy the Greens’ vote. Read more in our media release here.
Two Week Consultation on Immunisation Program forsakes patients
After six months’ of secret consultations with ‘key stakeholders’ Minister Butler has given patients, particularly adult patients, only two weeks to contribute to the future of their healthcare. Better Access Australia has written to the Minister asking him for urgent action that shows respect for patient time and need by extending the current tokenistic consultation process.
The COVID19 pandemic showed the importance of adult immunisation for preventative healthcare in Australia. Australia’s National Preventative Healthcare Strategy also recognises the importance of immunisation for preventative health and also recognises the less than satisfactory coverage rates.
Most recently SHINGRIX was listed for the prevention of shingles, but once again failed to consider those in the community who are severely immunocompromised beyond the 1990s definitions. Whilst those with HIV, solid organ transplants and malignancy need protection from communicable diseases, so do the increasing number of patients in the community with rare diseases affecting their immune systems - for example Severe Combined Immune Deficiency and increasingly those with chronic autoimmune diseases with biological treatments.
Better Access Australia has written urgently to the Minister today asking him to intervene in his department’s processes and ensure those who will be permanently impacted by this review have a voice in it. We continue to support the expanded access to the NIP through community and hospital pharmacy. #voicesthatcannotbeheard. A copy of our letter to Minister Butler can be found here.
BAA Budget Response 2024-25
Indexation freeze on Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) PBS co-pays and new money for stalled newborn screening election commitment - a budget of winners and losers in an election year. Better Access Australia welcomes the Prime Minister’s commitment to redress his currently failed election commitment to introduce a nationally consistent 80-disease newborn bloodspot screening program and the adoption of our three-year call for an indexation freeze on PBS co-payments. Read more in our media release here
Older News
RECOGNITION OF GOVERNMENT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PATIENTS WELCOMED IN FEDERAL BUDGET 2023-24
The Albanese Government has announced funding of $377.3 million over four years, with $98.4 million ongoing to make patient access more affordable under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Opioid Dependence Treatment program (ODTP).
An historic change to medicines access for these patients, the investment highlights the financial burden patients have endured for many years. As the system moves to end the discrimination against these patients, Better Access Australia restates its call for an Inquiry into how this was allowed to go unaddressed for so long. Read more in our media release here