Media Releases
Sit back and wait is not an option for the PBS
It would be irresponsible for the Federal Government to sit back and not tackle the unsustainable growth in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said today.
In this section:
- $1.09 million to investigate better ways to care for the dying
- $1.3 million for new Lifeline services in rural Australia
- $1.7 million for better understanding of healthy ageing
- $1.84 million boost to young researchers in Victoria
- $1.96 million boost to young researchers in Queensland
- $118 million boost to health and medical research in Australia
- $118 million boost to health and medical research in Australia
- $118 million boost to health and medical research in Australia
- $118 million boost to health and medical research in Australia
- $118 million boost to health and medical research in Australia
- $118 million boost to health and medical research in Australia
- $2.1 million for NSW rural specialist health
- $2.47 million boost to young researchers in the Australian Capital Territory
- $2.5 million for mental health research
- $3.05 million to boost to young researchers in Western Australia
- $7.5 million for Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health
- $7.5 million for Geraldton Rural Health Education Centre
- $790,000 for Victorian rural specialist health
- Access to international research for all Australians
- Access to international research for all Australians
- Airlift of Bali casualties completed
- Another $1.1 million for medical specialist services in rural NSW
- Another step forward for remote health in Alice Springs
- Applications for rural nursing re-entry scholarships close 27 September 2002
- Asthma Friendly Schools Program. How to manage asthma in all Australian schools
- Australia and Europe to research HPV link to skin cancer
- Australia and the USA join forces in a $10 million quest to develop a vaccine against juvenile diabetes
- Australian Capital Territory to receive more than $7 million in research funding
- Australian families face tax hike of up to $1200 a year
- Australian organ donor register passes one million mark
- Australians could gain an extra six years life expectancy with renewed efforts in health: World Health Report
- Australians encouraged to comment on new health privacy safeguards
- Better after hours medical services for Sunshine Coast
- Boost to national and international health research efforts
- Coorperation is the key to improved services to cancer patients
- Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS still an issue in Australia
- Doctors' paperwork under microscope
- Doctors must justify any fee rises to cover medical indemnity costs
- Enhanced pathology laboratory testing standards to protect public health and safety
- Expert to check blood claims
- Extra funding aims to lower tragic rate of suicide further
- Federal Government approves free national vaccine program to combat Meningococcal disease
- Federal Government commits $13.4 million to improve indigenous access to health care
- Federal Government funds new health projects to tackle chronic disease in Australia
- Federal Government Funds New WA Cancer Scanner
- Federal Government offers WA $500,000 for MRI at PMH
- Federal Minister calls on State Government to indemnify family planning clinics
- Federal suicide prevention funding for South Australia
- Federal suicide prevention funding for the Australian Capital Territory
- First recipients of scholarships in aboriginal health announced: Patterson
- Flu campaign targets fit healthy older Australians
- Focus on indigenous health, bowel cancer and diabetes to improve health of Australians
- Get your facts straight, Mr Knowles and run the State hospitals
- Glivec gains PBS listing for chronic CML sufferers
- Government rejects Viagra listing on PBS
- Government to reform regulation of private health insurance
- GPs get help to support mental health care
- Grants will translate research into best practice patient care
- Green light for HealthConnect trials
- Green light for HealthConnect trials
- Health help for outback Australia–only a call away
- Health insurance to rise by $2.66 a week for average family
- Health Minister urges women to look after their hearts
- Health premiums 30% cheaper under the coalition
- High levels of private health coverage
- High levels of private health coverage maintained
- Improved health care for women in rural Australia
- Increased medical specialist services in the Grampians region
- Increased medical specialist services in the Greater Murray and far West regions
- Increased medical specialist services in the Hunter and Macquarie areas
- Increased medical specialist services to the Hume region of Victoria
- Increased specialist services for people living in rural NSW
- Indigenous health, Cancer, Asthma, Cardiovascular Disease and Mental Health–big winners in $150 million funding of new research
- Information will help people manage diabetes
- Joint Statement
- Katherine gets the green light for coordinated care trial and new regional health service
- Labor says one thing before the election and another after
- Leukaemia patients get greater access to lifesaving treatment
- Lifestyle scripts help GPs to help patients to help themselves
- Media Releases
- Medibank Private financial loss 2001/02
- Medicare card required to get subsidised medicines
- Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin to receive more than $4 million in research funding
- Minister announces review of the role of Divisions of General Practice
- Minister endorses Cochrane workshop to health professionals
- Minister launches Lymphodema education package
- Minister opens new community care facility at Cobden, Victoria
- Minister Patterson launches major study into links between hormones and depression
- Modest weight loss can help in the battle against obesity
- More Medical Scholarships for Rural Students
- More than 50, 000 older Australians to participate in pilot for early detection of bowel cancer
- Moves to boost supplies of products for Bali burns victims
- National listing of Arthritis to give more focus for national action
- National Mental Health Report
- National Palliative Care Week
- National program to fight flu in indigenous communities
- New centres of clinical research excellence in Australia to receive $18 million
- New era in general practice training
- New funding encourages Australian researchers to work with industry
- New guide to help save women's lives through early detection
- New meassure to increase medical workforce
- New package to tackle tobacco use in indigenous communities
- New Project to improve the lives of older people with chronic illness
- New Regional Health Service for Northern Grampians communities
- New report highlights importance of data in fight against ovarian cancer
- New report provides further insight and hope into the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS
- New service helps people take medicines safely
- New South Wales researchers to receive Federal funding for projects into 'Health Ageing'
- New South Wales to receive more than $35 million in research funding
- New study backs Government's preventative approach to health
- New Wilcannia hospital and health service opens
- No conflict of interest on tobacco issues
- Numbers of rural doctors on the increase
- One million children to get Meningococcal C vaccine sooner
- Over five million dollars in funding helps Australian researchers
- Parents warned of the dangers of antibiotics for treatment of colds
- Pathology labs failing to meet standards face public scrutiny
- Private health insurance for dental, physiotherapy and optometry face cuts under Labor
- Private health insurance rebate relieves pressure on Victoria's public hospitals
- Private health reforms to deliver better value for money for fund members
- Protecting human participants in research: launch of new ethics handbook
- Public invited to comment on access and consent for e-health records
- Queensland researcher receives Federal funding for research into Neurodegenerative disorders
- Queensland to receive more than $21 million in research funding
- Radiotherapy inquiry identifies NSW Mid-North Coast as priority service area
- Rise in rural doctors highlights government's $100 million initiative
- Rural and remote health workers–better connected, better supported
- Rural Health Education Network enhanced by new Warrnambool facility
- Safer farms for children
- Safety and quality–blood supply priorities
- Second chance to act responsibly and sustain the PBS
- Second round of coordinated care trials get the green light
- Senator Patterson Pays Tribute to Hospital Staff
- Seven out of 10 GP visits have no out-of-pocket expense for patients
- Sign on, talk to your family and save a life
- Sit back and wait is not an option for the PBS
- South Australia's rural areas to benefit from new visiting specialist services
- South Australia to receive more than $10 million in research funding
- South Australian researcher receives $240,000 for Osteoarthritis research
- State Government slow to follow South Australia's MRI lead
- State Health Minister misleading people of WA on MRI
- Statement by Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson
- Statement on UMP/AMIL by Senator Patterson
- States sidetrack health reform agenda
- Tasmania's rural areas to benefit from new visiting dermatology and rheumatology services
- Tasmania to receive almost half a million dollars in research funding
- Tasmanian Health Project helps to improve the lives of people with chronic illness
- Tasmanian researcher receives $300,000 for research into brain ageing
- Telephone service to provide information on the safe use of medicines
- Three out of four patients bulk billed by GPs
- Unsafe to watch directly the solar eclipse
- Unsung heroes of child health recognised at 2002 National Immunisation Awards
- Victoria leads as Centre of Clinic Research Excellence
- Victoria to receive more than $55 million in research funding
- Victorian researchers to receive Federal funding for research into Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
- Victorian women can have confidence in checks for cervical cancer
- Video link improves rural access to mental health specialists
- Western Australia to recieve more than $14 million in research funding
- Where's the money coming from Mr Smith?
- Women at potential risk to be advised by letter to see gp
- Working together on a way forward for Walwa
- World Health Day a perfect opportunity to begin a more active life: Patterson
- World Mental Health Day
- World Osteoporosis Day
- Young Australian researchers to benefit from new $50 million grants scheme
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less in this section17 June 2002
Sit back and wait is not an option for the PBS
It would be irresponsible for the Federal Government to sit back and not tackle the unsustainable growth in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, said today.
The Government would abdicate its responsibility if it waited for several years - as suggested by the Democrats - to put the PBS on a sustainable footing to ensure its viability over the longer term.
Senator Patterson rejected claims by the Australian Democrats health spokesperson, Meg Lees, who advocated no action for two or three years.
"Sitting back and waiting for two or three years could be too late. The scheme has grown by $1.5 billion over the past two years. It just cannot keep growing at the rate of 14% every year if we are going to provide affordable access to PBS medicines to Australians," she said.
"Doing nothing now will just make it harder in a couple of years when we are forced to act.
"The fact is we must act now. Sitting on our hands to see what might happen two or three years up the track is irresponsible.
"If we are going to have access to the new generation of potentially life-saving medicines - some of which will costs tens of thousands of dollars per person per year - we must act now to ensure that our system of world-class subsidised medicines can be sustained into the future.
"If we don't, the PBS will not be able to protect the vulnerable in the future."
Senator Patterson acknowledged Senator Lees' acceptance of Government measures to ensure the quality use of medicines.
However, accepting some parts of the Government's package to secure the future of the PBS and rejecting others, such as the rises in co-payments, would not work because cherry-picking would undermine the success of the whole package.
Media Contact: Randal Markey, Media Adviser, 0417 694 520
