A government review's six-year-old recommendations led to the decision to fund an unapproved and unapprovable product over an approved medicine. The document is the first in a series that ended with an unprecedented workaround on patient safety...

International comparisons can work both ways, the incredibly disrespectful and dismissive 'let them eat cake' attitudes of two key advisory committees and a welcome ministerial intervention that should be more broadly applied. We also answer so...

There was quite a bit of eminence this week in the public discussion about access to health technologies. Some personal and wider reflections on the role of prejudice in funding and reimbursement decisions.

We draw a line between some very careful use of language by small 'g' government officials that clearly connects some recent processes and events. It could be a coincidence, but it's remarkable and very convenient. Everything happens for a reas...

It's another week of debate over PBS deferrals. Unfortunately, there appears to be an effort to limit public discussion. Given the obvious risk to patients and the implications for the access agenda, which is flailing against the backdrop of de...

The health department calls them 'holdover' submissions, but they're deferrals. Its strange language does not change the fact that this situation, decided without consultation, could have negative and long-lasting consequences for the world's s...

A special edition focused on the disappointing and unacceptable outcome on the proposed simplified and faster process for immunotherapies. The institution has revealed a disturbing attitude to patients shrouded in an ability to deliver change.

After a short break, we are back, and there is a lot to discuss. Recommendations to fund unapproved and unapprovable therapeutic interventions, continued disappointment on newborn screening, and a proposed misinformation law that is significant...

A significant structural change in the PBS, which the Government attempted to blunt with 60-day dispensed quantities, is arguably the main growth driver in spending on the program. We discuss the change, which along with others, represents a ma...

The two-sided coin that is the access debate. The competing narratives that might be confusing Health Minister Mark Butler. Governance is an arcane issue, but it matters, and a different approach could mean a better approach to decision-making ...

It has been a week of red flags on the HTA Review, with the occasional green shoot. We investigate each and discuss how unconscious bias impacts decision-making. The way forward as the process progresses to an implementation phase requires some...

No guessing the focus of this week's discussion, but we have worked to focus on a way forward to manage the many challenges presented by the HTA Review, including the importance of injecting some caution in the public response and understanding...

The health debate is increasingly shifting ahead of the election, mainly to challenging issues, including the fierce debate impacting the private health sector. What does it mean for stakeholders wanting attention in other areas? A welcome deci...

The Albanese Government used moral suasion to resolve the IV fluid shortage caused by other jurisdictions' poor procurement practices. Health Minister Mark Butler used cautious language on the HTA Review. It was what you would expect, but what ...

Australia is not getting a Senate inquiry on the pandemic. The Albanese Government is amending PBS pricing legislation after the Federal Court confirmed that the interpretation of 'agreements' is meaningless compared to the law. The weekly exis...

Surprises have become a regular feature of our systems. A better understanding of the details would eliminate the risk. Great news for an Australian family that has suffered the real consequences of policy failures and one host springs a surpri...

Strange policy announcements in Queensland. The HTA Review options paper identified the primary cause of access delays - multiple submissions - and proposed changes to incentivise companies to offer price cuts in return for faster listings. Sta...

Why has everything become so political? Our system of insiders and outsiders when it comes to policy. Can the insiders even recognise the problem? The Government's response to the Disability Royal Commission means major changes are coming, incl...

Too many still need to understand the difference between policy and health technology assessment - HTA is an instrument of policy. Stakeholders must also consider their broader responsibility to public health and how decisions in one part of th...

Some parts of an institution face the challenge of avoiding complicity in wrong approaches or repeating and even adopting its exclusionary way of working. It is hard. Yet, acting in the interests of patients can require one part of the institut...

The combination of political will and trust should be used to help more patients. The poor treatment of a family in Western Australia, the pending departure of one of the greatest advocates for patient access, and the political realignment send...

It was an interesting week with the Government acting based on conscience to ensure access to medicine and an advisory committee losing it in a public statement. We also discuss the inequity between public programs.

Vapes! The parliament backed a ban on retail distribution of the products, but an amendment will make nicotine-containing vapes more accessible via pharmacy, and businesses will respond accordingly. Also, why should other stakeholders be concer...

The new Community Pharmacy Agreement is a remarkable document. We explain why it should be read and the negotiation analysed. We also discuss the draft National Immunisation Strategy, the events in New Zealand, and whether we can extract oursel...

It's a 'swear jar' episode we discuss the obsession with health technology assessment, why it is used to guide what is just price negotiation, meaning it takes too long, how decision-makers subordinate patient needs to this negotiation, what th...