$860m drug subsidies to help fight killer diseases

[Guest guest]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20509018-2702,00.html

$860m drug subsidies to help fight killer diseases

ph Kerr

October 02, 2006

HEART disease patients, diabetics, sufferers from cancer of the breast,

prostate and lungs, and victims of hepatitis will benefit from a decision to

subsidise a range of new drugs.

Health Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday $860 million would be spent

adding drugs to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, benefiting more than

366,000 people over four years.

The eligibility criteria for cholesterol-lowering drugs will be relaxed for

high-risk people, opening up new treatments for about 250,000 heart

patients.

With diabetes, 110,000 people will be able to get subsidised Lantus and

Levemir over the next 12 months, at a cost of $150 million over four years.

An anti-viral drug on the PBS list for the treatment of hepatitis C will be

extended to victims of hepatitis B, helping about 1000 people a year.

The Government has already flagged that Herceptin - effective for nearly

3000 breast cancer sufferers - will be listed, as will other cancer drugs

that treat breast, lung and prostate cancers.

The president of the Australian Medical Association, Mukesh Haikerwal,

welcomed the new listings, saying it was an evolutionary process to have

more drugs put on the PBS " as the results become more definite " on how much

they could help people's health.

With cardiovascular patients, he said, the new guidelines - which brought

the PBS into line with the views of the National Heart Foundation - would

mean a lot more people could get access to cholesterol-lowering drugs.

These patients " will now have a significantly greater chance of a new lease

of life, " he said.

Dr Haikerwal said that giving cheaper access to Herceptin was " certainly

much fairer " than patients having to mortgage their house to get medication,

although there would always be some who missed out.

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[Guest guest]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20509018-2702,00.html

$860m drug subsidies to help fight killer diseases

ph Kerr

October 02, 2006

HEART disease patients, diabetics, sufferers from cancer of the breast,

prostate and lungs, and victims of hepatitis will benefit from a decision to

subsidise a range of new drugs.

Health Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday $860 million would be spent

adding drugs to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme, benefiting more than

366,000 people over four years.

The eligibility criteria for cholesterol-lowering drugs will be relaxed for

high-risk people, opening up new treatments for about 250,000 heart

patients.

With diabetes, 110,000 people will be able to get subsidised Lantus and

Levemir over the next 12 months, at a cost of $150 million over four years.

An anti-viral drug on the PBS list for the treatment of hepatitis C will be

extended to victims of hepatitis B, helping about 1000 people a year.

The Government has already flagged that Herceptin - effective for nearly

3000 breast cancer sufferers - will be listed, as will other cancer drugs

that treat breast, lung and prostate cancers.

The president of the Australian Medical Association, Mukesh Haikerwal,

welcomed the new listings, saying it was an evolutionary process to have

more drugs put on the PBS " as the results become more definite " on how much

they could help people's health.

With cardiovascular patients, he said, the new guidelines - which brought

the PBS into line with the views of the National Heart Foundation - would

mean a lot more people could get access to cholesterol-lowering drugs.

These patients " will now have a significantly greater chance of a new lease

of life, " he said.

Dr Haikerwal said that giving cheaper access to Herceptin was " certainly

much fairer " than patients having to mortgage their house to get medication,

although there would always be some who missed out.

_________________________________________________________________

Share your special moments by uploading 500 photos per month to Windows Live

Spaces

http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.get\

..live.com/spaces/features