In Australia, an independent review has been launched to tackle the long-standing issue of inequitable access to medicines, striving to reduce waiting times for subsidized treatments, especially for rare diseases. The review, known as the Health Technology Assessment review, is examining the process of evaluating health technologies like vaccines, devices, and drugs to determine their safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness.
One of the standout recommendations from the review is the potential to cut waiting times for subsidized treatments from several months to just four weeks, a significant improvement for patients in need of urgent and costly medications. The federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, has praised the review as forward-thinking and visionary, emphasizing the importance of faster access to effective therapies that are affordable for patients and the community.
The review identified areas of inequitable access to medicines, highlighting disparities in access for Indigenous Australians and children. It revealed that many essential medicines crucial for Indigenous Australians' health are not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), resulting in lower average spending on medicines for Indigenous individuals compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Additionally, the review pointed out the challenges in sourcing clinical data for regulatory approval for children, leading to delays in the process of listing medicines on the PBS.