Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2010:Consumer access to pharmaceutical benefits and the creation of new therapeutic groups through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), including:

(a)

the impact of new therapeutic groups on consumer access to existing PBS drugs, vaccines and future drugs, particularly high cost drugs;

(b)

the criteria and clinical evidence used to qualify drugs as interchangeable at a patient level;

(c)

the effect of new therapeutic groups on the number and size of patient contributions;

(d)

consultation undertaken in the development of new therapeutic groups;

(e)

the impact of new therapeutic groups on the classification of medicines in F1 and F2 formularies;

(f)

the delay to price reductions associated with the price disclosure provisions due to take effect on 1 August 2009 and the reasons for the delay;

(g)

the process and timing of consideration by Cabinet of high cost drugs and vaccines; and

(h)

any other related matters.

Question agreed to.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The government opposes this motion. We recognise that the opposition has the support of the Greens for this motion and therefore it has a majority. We will not be calling for a division.