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Latest news
18 August 2011
GMiA welcomes Senate Finance and Administration References Committee report on Government administration of the PBS
The Senate Finance and Administration References Committee report on Government administration of the PBS recommended that the Government withdraw its statement made on 25 February 2011. Opposition to this statement has been strongly expressed by the coalition, the Greens, consumers, healthcare professionals and the pharmaceutical industry alike.
The report, tabled in the Senate yesterday, strongly criticises the Government’s management of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) reflecting broad community concerns. The inquiry received over 50 submissions calling on Government to reverse its decision to indefinitely defer the listing of a number of new medicines on the PBS.
The Committee reported that, “the Government’s decision does indeed represent a false economy”, and noted that the Government could leverage far more significant savings from already existing reforms to the PBS.
During the tabling of the report in the Senate, Senator Di Natale highlighted that, “one of the critical things that needs to happen is that generic medication needs to be made available without delay when patents expire on originator medications”.
GMiA thanks the Senate Committee for the hard work they have undertaken in reviewing the administration of the PBS.
The Generic Medicines Industry Association (GMiA) is the national association representing companies that manufacture, supply and export generic medicines. The generic medicines sector is a high value-add sector delivering significant benefits to the Australian public by way of affordable medicines and high skilled jobs.