Streamlined Approvals Process for Medical Advances
A new report released on 27 February recommends improvements to the way new health products, procedures and services are assessed for public funding, in line with international best practice.
View by date:
Previous MinistersPDF printable version of Release of Streamlined Approvals Process for Medical Advances (PDF 18 KB)
Joint Release
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
The Hon Lindsay Tanner MP
Minister for Finance
27 February 2010The Rudd Government will implement a series of reforms to streamline the process and reduce the cost involved with assessing new medical technologies and procedures for use in Australia.
A new report released today by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, and the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner, recommends improvements to the way new health products, procedures and services are assessed for public funding, in line with international best practice.
The Government will begin work immediately to implement 13 of the 16 recommendations, and the remaining three longer-term recommendations will be subject to further consideration.
TheReport of the Review of Health Technology Assessment in Australia is one of the first Better Regulation Ministerial Partnerships undertaken as part of the Rudd Government’s commitment to using better regulation to drive productivity and reduce costs to business and the not for profit sector.
Better Regulation Ministerial Partnerships form a key part of the Rudd Government’s deregulation agenda and have proved effective in ensuring a disciplined and coordinated approach to delivering regulatory reform across government.
“A more transparent, efficient and coordinated system of approving new health products, procedures and services is an important step in reforming our health system,” Ms Roxon said.
“These reforms mean patients will have faster access to the latest safe and effective treatments, products and technology, and industry will have reduced costs in getting their products to market.
“We want proven medical advancements which meet appropriate safety standards to be available to the people who need them sooner.”
The report recommends that organisations seeking Health Technology Assessment (HTA) be provided with a single entry point to receive, guide and monitor applications for reimbursement. More detailed information will be easily available from a central website, including how technologies will be assessed and how decisions are made.
It also recommends a streamlined approach so that technologies are subject to a level of assessment appropriate to the risks presented by the technology.
While the improvements would assist both patients and industry, the report also found that proper evaluation of new technologies is essential to the sustainability of Australia’s health system in the longer term.
Lindsay Tanner said: “This is another example of how the introduction of a Better Regulation Ministerial Partnership is working towards addressing impediments to Australia’s long-term productivity growth.”
Lindsay Tanner said it is essential that applicants find the HTA system easy to navigate, while maintaining patient safety and ensuring value for money.
“The report outlines proposed reforms to actively assist the industry to achieve more timely assessments, improve transparency for all stakeholders and to remove duplication and overlap,” Mr Tanner said.
The Report of the Review of Health Technology Assessment in Australia is available at www.health.gov.au/htareview and www.finance.gov.au
Media inquiries:
Minister Roxon's Office: Laura Ryan on 0409 945 476.
Minister Tanner’s Office: Nardia Dazkiw on 0418 144 690.
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.