Alzheimer’s Patients to Get Easier Access to Medication
Many of the more than 130,000 Australians who have Alzheimer’s disease will benefit from changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which will simplify access to drugs used to treat the disease.
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Joint Media Release
The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP
Minister for Health
The Hon Mark Butler MP
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
Minister for Housing and Homelessness
Minister for Social Inclusion
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Mental Health Reform
23 April 2013 Many of the more than 130,000 Australians who have Alzheimer’s disease will benefit from changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme which will simplify access to drugs used to treat the disease.
Barriers for continued access to donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine and memantine will be reduced for patients from 1 May.
Previously patients have had to show a minimum level of improvement in an Alzheimer’s disease test each time they needed a new prescription. Now patients can continue treatment for as long as their doctor and carers consider it to be effective, and doctors can use a streamlined authority approval system.
“Alzheimer’s is a challenging illness to treat, and the government is committed to helping. These changes will make life a little easier for suffers and their families, and will remove administrative barriers to getting treatment,” Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek said.
Minister for Ageing Mark Butler said this built on the Gillard Government's work to make dementia a national health priority.
''By 2050 around 900,000 Australians are expected to have dementia, more than half of whom will have Alzheimer’s disease, so ensuring the best possible access to treatment and support is critical for the nation,'' Mr Butler said.
''We're investing $268 million to better support people in aged care and that work has been recognised with Australia winning the Alzheimer’s Disease International Award. Today's announcement builds on that important work.''
The Government has also negotiated a 40 per cent reduction in these anti-dementia drugs, delivering better value for money for the taxpayer.
Over the past decade the drugs have been subsidised by the Australian Government through its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) – last year alone at a cost of $60 million.
The Government’s latest decision followed recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) on the review of drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The PBAC is an independent committee that advises the Government on PBS-subsidised medicines.
Ms Plibersek said the review is one of the first of the new, "post-market reviews" that involve expert advice and consumer consultations prior to PBAC consideration.
“This post-market review also paved the way for the new generation of medicines to treat Alzheimer’s disease – which are more likely to be added to existing treatments rather than to replace them,” Ms Plibersek said.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for between 50 and 70 per cent of all dementia. It is a progressive disease that begins with loss of memory, especially the ability to form new memories.
As the disease progresses, patients lose language and other functions and can have behavioural disturbances such as depression, apathy, aggression, psychosis, incontinence and altered eating habits.
The PBAC recommendations of the December 2012 Review of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme anti-dementia drugs to treat Alzheimer’s Disease will be available at the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme website.
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