Changes to PBS – 1 October
Changes from 1 October to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will help improve the health outcomes for more Australians.
View by date:
Previous MinistersPDF printable version of Changes to PBS – 1 October (PDF 18 KB)
1 October 2009
Changes from 1 October to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will help improve the health outcomes for more Australians.
A change to the listing of Methylphenidate hydrochloride, in tablets (extended release) (Concerta®) and capsules (modified release) (Ritalin LA®), will make them available for continued treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder beyond the age of 18 years in patients diagnosed between the ages of 6 and 18 years consistent with the advice of the department’s Paediatric Medicines Advisory Group. Minimal additional expense to the PBS is expected.
Restrictions on Oestradiol transdermal gel and patches, available in various brands, (Sandrena®) (Estradot®) (Estraderm®) (Estraderm MX®) (Climara®) (Estalis continuous®) (Estalis sequi®) and (Estracombi®) will be removed, This follows the recent deletion of multiple tablet forms of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The restricted benefit listings for the transdermal patch and gel forms for HRT are being changed to become unrestricted benefit listings. This is not expected to incur additional costs to the PBS.
An alteration to the listing of Filgrastim injection (Neupogen®) and Pegfilgrastim injection (Neulasta®) under the Section 100 Highly Specialised Drugs Program will see the use of filgrastim and pegfilgrastim extended to include secondary prevention of low white cell counts in patients receiving treatment with docetaxel in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil for inoperable head and neck cancer
For all media inquiries, please contact the Minister's Office on 02 6277 7220.
Help with accessing large documents
When accessing large documents (over 500 KB in size), it is recommended that the following procedure be used:
- Click the link with the RIGHT mouse button
- Choose "Save Target As.../Save Link As..." depending on your browser
- Select an appropriate folder on a local drive to place the downloaded file
Attempting to open large documents within the browser window (by left-clicking)
may inhibit your ability to continue browsing while the document is
opening and/or lead to system problems.
Help with accessing PDF documents
To view PDF (Portable Document Format) documents, you will need to have a PDF reader installed on your computer. A number of PDF readers are available through the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) Web Guide website.