Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Di Natale for his continuing interest in issues surrounding the PBS. If I do not provide the whole of the answer to the question Senator Di Natale asked then I will take that part of it on notice. But I think it is important to recognise that there have been announcements by the health minister around the government's decision to subsidise a range of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and from 1 March 2013, subject to listing conditions being met, a list is estimated to cost $447 million over five years for a medicine such as Lyrica. This listing will be a great relief to many of those who suffer from particular chronic nerve pain. But more broadly there are some recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee that are yet to be considered by government. This includes high-cost medicines—and I will not try, Mr President, to pronounce these names—with brand names such as Victrelis and the one Senator Di Natale mentioned. It starts with a 'T' and it is a brand name for the treatment of hepatitis C. So we are on the same page.

Under the memorandum of understanding with Medicines Australia, the government has agreed with industry on timeframes for considering the new high-cost listings. The agreement recognises that the government must be allowed time to carefully consider the clinical and financial implications and opportunity costs of high-cost proposals such as these. (Time expired)