Submission to Post-Market Review of PBS Medicines Used to Treat Asthma in Children

Submission 8 - Australasian College for Emergency Medicine

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) thanks the Australian Department of Health and Ageing (the Department) for the opportunity to provide comment on Review of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Medicines Used to Treat Asthma in Children.

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM is) a not-for-profit organisation responsible for the training of emergency physicians, and for the advancement of professional standards in emergency medicine (EM), in Australia and New Zealand. As the peak professional organisation for emergency medicine in Australasia, ACEM has a vital interest in improving the quality of emergency care provided to the community and supports the Department in its review of asthma medicines used to treat asthma in children.

ACEM notes that that the National Asthma Council of Australia (NACA) has recently undertaken an extensive literature review of asthma management, in preparation for a review and update of their 2006 Asthma Management Handbook^[1].  ACEM therefore suggests that the Department liaise with the NACA regarding their literature review and evidence collected to date, regarding the use of asthma medications in children.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide the Department with feedback regarding this review.  If you require any clarification or further information, please do not hesitate to contact the ACEM Director of Policy and Research, on (03) 9320 0444.

Yours sincerely,

DR YUSUF NAGREE

CHAIR, ACEM SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

DR ANTHONY CROSS

PRESIDENT

References

[1] National Asthma Council Australia. Asthma Management Handbook Revised and Updated. National Asthma Council Australia: South Melbourne 2006