Search

Two lifesaving heart medicines added to the PBS

Two lifesaving heart medicines have been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Previous treatments for the two kinds of heart disorder cardiomyopathy, which affect around 4800 Australians, previously cost patients up to $122,000. Now, with the addition of it to the PBS, patients will only have to pay $31.60 per script, or just $7.70 with a concession card. One of the medications added to the list is Tafamadis (also known as Vyndamax), which is used to treat transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy - a rare heart disease that can present as shortness of breath and fatigue. The newly listed treatment slows the progression of the disease and prevents the build-up of thickened heart muscles, and is the most expensive medication costing patients around $122,000 for a year of treatment without the government subsidy. Camzyos, the treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which affects around 3600 Australians and previously cost around $30,000 per year of treatment, will also be subsidised. "It's vitally important that Australians have ready and affordable access to the latest treatments," Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said. "By listing Vyndamax and Camzyos on the PBS we're giving patients and their doctors new options for treatment at an affordable price. "It's part of the Albanese Government's commitment to keep medicines cheaper for Australians." Image: Nine

Caring

Cost of prescription meds to be slashed

From the beginning of 2023, the price of prescription medications will be slashed in a new cost-of-living measure by the federal government. Australians' co-payment for scripts under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will be capped at $30 as opposed to the current maximum co-payment of $42.50. That will save people who have multiple regular medications hundreds of dollars each year. The measure will also help prevent people having to decide between spending their money on medicines or other essentials. Measures won’t come into effect until January 1, with the Albanese government tabling the bill in parliament on Wednesday. Health Minister Mark Butler said almost a million Australians delayed or avoided filling prescriptions, citing recent research. <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">“This change will put close to $200 million back in the pockets of Australians each year." <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Image: Getty

Money & Banking

Calls for “life-changing” drug to be added to the PBS

Cystic Fibrosis sufferers are calling for a “life-changing” drug to be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) so more of the 3500 affected Australians can access the treatment. Trikafta, produced by Vertex, currently costs Aussies $300,000 a year, meaning it is out of reach for most, including Ella Sawyer’s daughter, Evie. Diagnosed with the condition six weeks after she was born, Evie is now 12 and manages her condition with various medications, supplements, and twice-daily breathing exercises that help clear her chest. She is prone to long-lasting infections, takes enzymes with every meal and has increased calorie needs. Though Trikafta is already available and reimbursed in 17 countries, the decision to recommend its listing on the PBS has been deferred while experts on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee engage further with Vertex. In the meantime, the drug is available free of charge to critically ill patients with no other medicinal options, subject to specific eligibility criteria and on request by their doctor. Evie isn’t one of the 200 Australians who currently qualify, so she and her family are waiting for change. “It’s really, really frustrating that if you’re born with CF [cystic fibrosis], your access to the best treatment can be limited depending on where you are in the world,” her mother Ella Sawyer said. “If Ellie were to get the flu or another infection, she could have a big loss of lung function quite quickly whilst we wait for price negotiations to go on,” she added. “It’s just very frustrating when the quality of someone’s life comes down to a price.” The lack of access to Trikafta is putting lives at risk, according to Cystic Fibrosis Australia chief executive Nettie Burke. “We talk about having one of the greatest health systems here in the world,” Ms Burke said. “I think we do, but we can’t profess that when we can’t get drugs that have been in America for two years.” Better quality of life Ms Burke said recent trials of Trikafta have shown it to be a “life-changing” treatment. “People’s lives have definitely been extended, but their quality of life has been increased dramatically as well,” Ms Burke said. “One of the wonderful things we’ve seen from people overseas, or from those on trials, is that there’s a whole lot of babies being born. “Before, that wasn’t necessarily going to be the case because people were too unwell to have a family, but we’ve seen a big increase in babies. “So we know that Trikafta is working …. It’s incredible.” While negotiations continue between the PBAC and Vertex, Ms Burke and families of people with cystic fibrosis are calling for compassionate access to Trikafta to be given to all eligible patients. “We could save lives by getting access immediately,” Ms Burke said. The next update from the PBAC is due in August. Image: Nettie Burke / Twitter

Body

Migraine patients set to save hundreds after costly drug revision

The addition of migraine-preventing medication to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has been hailed as a step in the right direction by advocacy groups. Emgality is used to prevent migraines in adults and is injected once a month by the patient. It can cost up to $1000 a month, but from June 1 eligible individuals will pay just $41.30 a script or $6.60 if they are a concession holder. Raphaella Crosby, the founding member of patient advocacy group Migraine Australia said the addition of the treatment to the PBS is a step in the right direction but that there’s still more work to do. “It does kind of pave the way because now that we’ve got one of these new medications on the PBS, there’s not much argument for listing the other ones,” Ms Crosby said. However, Ms Crosby said the number of people eligible for treatment would be limited by strict criteria. To be eligible, a person must meet the definition of suffering from chronic migraines, be under the care of a neurologist, have tried three older medications that failed, and not have received botox (a common treatment for migraines) under the PBS. “The line between episodic and chronic migraine is nonsense, it’s an arbitrary line that somebody drew at some point. It has no clinical meaning,” Ms Crosby said. According to research by Deloitte Access Economics in 2018, 4.9 million Australians live with migraines. Migraines disproportionately affect women as well, with 45 percent of women aged between 25 and 45 living with very active migraines that affect their ability to work, Ms Crosby said. “When the government talks about getting women back to work, to deny these drugs to women who aren’t completely debilitated by them is a bit counterproductive,” she said. “Because essentially what the restrictions are saying is ‘you need to be completely debilitated by your migraine before we’ll give you something that works’.” Emgality, made by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, belongs to a group of medications that block a particular protein associated with migraines, called calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP).

Body

Our Partners

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Games