New PBS listings
Several new listings and changes to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will bring health benefits to many Australians.
Arsenic trioxide will be listed for the treatment of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), a form of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) that accounts for about 10% of acute AML diagnoses. This listing provides a PBS-subsidised treatment for patients who have either failed to respond to or have relapsed after treatment with standard first-line therapy.
Bimatoprost with timolol maleate eye drops will be listed to treat elevated intra-ocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. This fixed combination product provides an alternative to administering two individual therapies of the same components. Using a single, combined product avoids the problem of ‘wash out’ where the first administered drug is ‘washed out’ of the eye by the second.
Hypromellose oral gel will be available to palliative care patients where dry mouth is a symptom. This product provides a longer duration of relief than the currently listed carmellose sodium mouth spray.
Oxybutynin transdermal patches will be listed on the PBS for treatment of urge urinary incontinence or urgency due to uncontrolled contraction of the bladder wall in a patient who cannot tolerate or swallow oral oxybutynin. The patches provide a treatment option for patients with these conditions who are unable to tolerate the oral dose form.
Rivaroxaban will provide an oral alternative to the currently available injectable anti-thrombotic drugs used to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients who have undergone total hip or knee replacement.
Full details of the new listings and changes are available at http://www.pbs.gov.au
