Access to Medicines Working Group December 2008
Page last updated: 17 March 2009
The Access to Medicines Working Group (AMWG) met on 12 December 2008.
The Government published the AMWG Interim Report on 18 November 2008. The AMWG co-chairs
have since consulted with the Generic Medicines Industry Association and Pharmaceutical
Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). AMWG committed to undertaking further consultation
with the Consumers’ Health Forum in early 2009 to complete stakeholder consultations
regarding the report.
AMWG discussed the positive outcomes of a workshop held on 2 December 2008 and undertook
to further examine four key outcomes aimed at improving and streamlining the PBS processes.
The outcomes of the workshop considered the views of representatives from the Department
of Health and Ageing (the Department), PBAC, Medicines Australia member companies,
the Generic Medicines Industry Association, and the Consumers’ Health Forum.
AMWG committed to drafting a report for the Minister on the outcomes of the Second
Joint Policy Conference on Medicines, organised by the Department and Medicines Australia
and held on 25 and 26 November 2008. The event was attended by Minister Roxon, representatives
from the Department, pharmaceutical companies and consumer groups. The chair of PBAC
(Professor Lloyd Sansom), chair of the English and Welsh National Institute for Health
and Clinical Excellence (Professor Sir Michael Rawlins) and Canadian consumer advocate,
Dr Durhane Wong-Reiger presented papers and participated in panel discussions. It
was agreed that AMWG would maintain oversight of the implementation of the outcomes
of this conference.
AMWG noted that consumers had for the first time been given an opportunity to comment
on medicines to be considered by the PBAC, via the Department’s website. The publication
of the PBAC agenda was recommended by AMWG and will continue to be published six weeks
prior to future PBAC meetings to encourage further consumer participation in the PBAC
decision making process. More information can be found at PBAC Meeting Agenda and Consumer Comments.
AMWG continued to examine the use of post marketing data and the contributions of
innovation for the drug development process and for the objectives of the PBS.
David Learmonth
Deputy Secretary
Department of Health and Ageing
Will Delaat
Chairman
Medicines Australia
