Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister update the House on how a stronger economy enables the government to support the quality of life of senior Australians by providing affordable access to vital medicines and crucial medical research? Is the minister aware of any alternative approaches to supporting the health of older Australians?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Bonner, not just for his question but for his passionate support of medical research, of new medicines and of older Australians. As somebody who was successful in small business, he knows that we can't provide the medicines, the medical research and the support for older Australians unless we have a strong economy that can actually deliver these essential services.

We've heard today from the Prime Minister about the 2012 budget—the famous 'four surpluses I announce but will never deliver tonight' budget. But we should also never forget the 2011 budget, because in that budget Labor deferred the listing of seven vital medicines due to fiscal circumstances. One of those medicines was for lung disease. I am pleased, however, to say that because of the strong economy, because of the million jobs and because of the benefit to the budget, we have a commitment to list all of the medicines which the medical experts recommend.

Just this year, in helping senior Australians we have been able to assist them with lung disease. Two critical medicines for non-small-cell lung cancer—primarily an issue facing many older Australians—have been listed. One of those is Tecentriq. That is for lung cancer, a medicine which would otherwise have cost $100,000 a year for patients—beyond the reach of virtually every patient—which will help, potentially, over 2,000 patients a year. It was listed earlier this year, on 1 April—a real breakthrough. In addition to that, we've also had Alectinib listed. Again, that will primarily help older Australians. Where it would otherwise have cost $188,000, because of a strong economy we're able to do that.

These new medicines are vital as life-saving and life-preserving medicines, and they are part of what we have been able to do to assist older Australians and all Australians who might suffer from these conditions. They're also part of the broader research funding which we've been able to assist. In particular, one of the conditions that can affect older Australians is the impact of antimicrobial resistance. This is especially so in hospitals and in nursing homes. Recently, we've been able to invest over $7 million to research and develop new approaches to deal with antimicrobial resistance. For older Australians in nursing homes this is fundamentally important. For older Australians in hospitals this is fundamentally important. It's part of our global tasks and our global responsibilities but, above all else, it's part of our human task and our human responsibility to care for older Australians, to give them the best hope of a future and to give them the very treatment that they deserve and have earned over the course of their lives. (Time expired)