Behind America's decades-long fight to dismantle the PBS
6 days, 18 hours ago

Behind America's decades-long fight to dismantle the PBS

ABC  

For decades, America's pharmaceutical giants have been plotting to torpedo Australia's Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme. Twenty years ago, they scored a huge victory when they secured major concessions from the Howard government, as America and Australia negotiated the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. With Trump again in the White House, this time threatening a global trade war, America's pharmaceutical industry lobbyists, having made huge donations to his campaign, have seized upon a golden opportunity. Labor and Coalition vow PBS will not be bargained over in US trade war Photo shows Anthony Albanese press conference Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton say the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, a cornerstone of Australia's health system, will never be a negotiating chip in US President Donald Trump's ongoing tariff campaign. Prior to the Free Trade Agreement, Australia's PBS negotiators employed a tactic known as "reference pricing".

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History of this topic

Column: The Ozempic revolution in weight-loss drugs exposes the weakest links in our healthcare system — drug pricing and insurance
7 months ago

Column: The Ozempic revolution in weight-loss drugs exposes the weakest links in our healthcare system — drug pricing and insurance

LA Times  

The diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic. This limits the length of time that health gains can be internalized as reduced claims.’ — David Anderson, University of South Carolina health policy expert Yet millions of Americans are unable to access these drugs, thanks to the two big, interrelated flaws in our healthcare system: unrestrained pricing by drug companies and the economics …

Chemist costs adding up as cost-of-living pressures take a toll on the chronically ill
1 year, 2 months ago

Chemist costs adding up as cost-of-living pressures take a toll on the chronically ill

ABC  

Not only is Karen Armanasco dealing with terminal cancer — the grandmother is also trying to pay for it. Key points: Many people with chronic illness are struggling with the cost of chemist items A recent survey of chronic pain patients found one in four sometimes could not afford their medications The Australian Patients Association says people skipping health care …

Opinion: Here’s Big Pharma’s playbook to bankrupt Americans who can’t afford medications
1 year, 7 months ago

Opinion: Here’s Big Pharma’s playbook to bankrupt Americans who can’t afford medications

LA Times  

America’s pharmaceutical giants are now suing to block the federal government’s first effort at drug price regulation. Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act included what on its face seems a modest proposal: The federal government would for the first time be empowered to negotiate prices Medicare pays for drugs — but only for 10 very expensive medicines beginning in 2026. Those …

Major PBS shake-up will allow Australians to purchase more medicine for less
1 year, 11 months ago

Major PBS shake-up will allow Australians to purchase more medicine for less

ABC  

The cost of hundreds of medicines will be halved for millions of Australians with chronic illness, who will be able to buy 60 days' worth of medicine for the price of a single prescription from September, under a major and controversial shake-up of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in next month's budget. Key points: The government will double the amount of …

Two years into the pandemic, why is Australia still short of medicines?
3 years ago

Two years into the pandemic, why is Australia still short of medicines?

ABC  

This might be a familiar scene. For my PhD research, I looked at Australia's pharmaceutical supply chain — the process of how medicines get from manufacturers to wholesalers and then to pharmacies. So we need a system-wide and nationally coordinated approach among supply chain partners and the government to reduce the risk of medicine shortages. We could do this using …

How to cut the price of prescription drugs (opinion)
7 years, 11 months ago

How to cut the price of prescription drugs (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Scott W. Atlas is the David and Joan Traitel Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and the author of “Restoring Quality Health Care: A Six Point Plan for Comprehensive Reform at Lower Cost.” He consults for companies on diagnostic brain imaging. Story highlights Medical costs continue to soar, and pharmaceutical drugs are often blamed for those increases Scott …

New medicine approval process to allow quicker access to breakthrough drugs
8 years, 6 months ago

New medicine approval process to allow quicker access to breakthrough drugs

ABC  

The Federal Government is changing the way new medicines are approved to ensure Australians get access to breakthrough drugs more quickly. "What we need to do is accept the evidence that is being presented to those overseas regulators, bring that information to Australia, ensure our TGA is happy and ultimately list those medicines earlier," she said. Ms Ley said while …

Who gains from those drug discount deals? (Spoiler: Drug companies)
10 years, 8 months ago

Who gains from those drug discount deals? (Spoiler: Drug companies)

LA Times  

The generic threat: Pfizer is offering a discount on Lipitor to counteract the threat that this generic version will cut into its profits. “An important safety net,” the industry says, that has “already helped millions of Americans get free or reduced-cost prescription medicines.” It’s all about good works and helping the patients, Big Pharma says of these patient assistance programs. …

Medicine is just for those who can afford it
11 years ago

Medicine is just for those who can afford it

Al Jazeera  

Dr Manica Balasegaram is the Executive Director of Medecins Sans Frontieres' Access Campaign. The pharmaceutical industry will have you believe that without high prices, we don’t get new drugs. The reality is, with high prices we don’t always get new drugs we need either. The current system also means some drugs just don’t get developed at all; there are some …

Government 'wasting millions' on prescription drugs
12 years ago

Government 'wasting millions' on prescription drugs

ABC  

The Federal Government is wasting $1.3 billion a year on prescription drugs and cabinet ministers should not have a say in which drugs are listed on the PBS, according to a new report. But a report by the Grattan Institute says Australians should be paying lower prices for their prescription drugs, with a new independent body set up to determine …

Patients lose out to patents & profits
12 years, 6 months ago

Patients lose out to patents & profits

The Hindu  

A 2012 WHO study ranks India third — behind Myanmar and Bangladesh — among countries that fail to provide health cover to people. Both long-pending proposals require a four-fold increase in public spending on medicines, from 0.1 to 0.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, as recommended by the High Level Expert Group on Universal Health Coverage. This when, …

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