New Appointments to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee

Page last updated: 7 August 2017

The Minister for Health has made further appointments to the membership of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) – a new Deputy Chairperson and two new appointments.

Ms Jo Watson has been appointed as the PBAC’s inaugural Deputy Chairperson. Ms Watson has extensive experience as a PBAC member and is also the Chair of the Health Technology Assessment Consumer Consultative Committee, formed to improve consumer engagement in the area of Health Technology Assessment.

The other two appointments are Dr (Peter) Shane Hamblin (specialist medical practitioner, endocrinologist) and Professor Phoebe Joy Ho (haematologist).

These new appointments raise the Committee’s membership to its full capacity, enhancing its ability to address the growing number of increasingly complex submissions. The PBAC is now fully constituted with 21 members, fulfilling the Australian Government’s commitment under the PBS Access and Sustainability Package of reforms announced in May 2015. For further information, please refer to the PBAC Membership webpage.