Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Joe Ludwig. Minister, in light of the recent controversy over chemotherapy drugs, my question relates to the government's policy on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Last year the government chose to defer the funding of seven drugs that were assessed by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee as being cost-effective. A Senate inquiry criticised the government's deferral and recommended against political interference into the decisions of the PBAC. Since then two new hepatitis C drugs, telaprevir and boceprevir—drugs that would prevent many of the 200,000 Australian hepatitis C sufferers from developing liver cancer—have been recommended for listing. Can the minister advise why these drugs have not yet been funded through the PBS?