Easier access to Alzheimer’s meds
Many of the more than 130,000 Australians who have Alzheimer’s disease will benefit from changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) which will simplify access to drugs used to treat the disease.
Many of the more than 130,000 Australians who have Alzheimer’s disease will benefit from changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) 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 this Wednesday (1 May 2013).
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 doctors and carers consider it to be effective, and doctors can use a streamlined authority approval system.
Minister for Health, Tanya Plibersek, said: “Alzheimer’s is a challenging illness to treat, and the government is committed to helping. These changes will make life a little easier for sufferers and their families, and will remove administrative barriers to getting treatment.”
The government has also negotiated a 40% 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 PBS – last year alone at a cost of $60 million.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for between 50% and 70% 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 can lose language and other functions and can have behavioural disturbances such as depression, apathy, aggression, psychosis, incontinence and altered eating habits.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (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.
