Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is demonstrating it is on the side of Australian families who need access to life-changing cancer and other medications on the PBS?

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

I want to thank the member for Ryan. He grew up as the son of two pharmacists, and so even as a young boy he understood the importance of the PBS to Australian families and what it meant for families seeking to have access to high-cost medicines for conditions that could otherwise be fatal, devastating or debilitating. He also grew up as the son of small business owners—people who understood exactly what it meant to have a strong economy and the ability to pay for these medicines. So he realised right from the earliest days that things such as we saw in 2011, when medicines were stopped from listing because the economy was not strong, were not the sort of thing that would ever happen under a coalition government.

I'm delighted to say that, because the economy is strong and because the Prime Minister has the commitment to list the medicines that the medical experts recommend, we are able to make listings such as those announced only yesterday. Yesterday, we were able to make announcements for glioblastomas, for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and for neuroendocrine tumours. These are things that are real, significant and important. They're the things that actually matter to Australians.

These are the medicines which we announced yesterday—I was delighted to announce them with the member for Higgins. In particular, I met a patient, Hugh. Hugh has been suffering from a glioblastoma—a brain tumour. Eighteen months ago he was given a very short period of time to live. He was given access to Avastin. Avastin is the medicine we listed yesterday. Nine-hundred patients will now have access to that medicine, which would otherwise cost $31,000. He was given, in his words, 'the gift of hope and the gift of life'. He was deeply thankful for that, and understands that this is one of the hallmarks of Australia as a society—as a compassionate society and as a strong economy; as a country which is able to do extraordinary things.

Similarly, I met a patient, Michael. Michael Clout, it turned out, we discovered afterwards, had played rugby with the Prime Minister when they were students. He said that as a rugby player he makes a great Prime Minister! No offence! But, significantly, Michael was suffering from Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. He was given two years to live in 2011, but through a combination of trials and early access to this medicine he isn't just alive today he is thriving today. This medicine, SPRYCEL, which saved his life is now available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It's for 80 patients, because that's the population that will benefit from it, at a saving of $51,000. This is a saving lives and protecting lives.