Changes to PBS medications
Changes from 1 October to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will help improve the health outcomes for more Australians.
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.
