New PBS listings to treat chronic conditions
Patients with arthritis, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and metabolic problems will benefit from treatments to be subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 May, 2007.
Two new versions of ENBREL® (etanercept) injections will become available to treat patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic, painful, inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine and weight-bearing joints. Another two new versions of ENBREL injections will also become available to treat patients with psoriatic arthritis, which is characterised by a chronic inflammation of the skin and joints.
For many Australians suffering from high blood cholesterol, the listing of LESCOL® will offer some patients the convenience of a higher-strength once-daily dose.
Patients with hypertension will benefit from the listing of COVERSYL PLUS® (perindopril with indapamide hemiydrate) and TARKA® (trandolapril with verapamil hydrochloride). Both products are combinations of currently listed drugs and should result in reduced co-payments for patients and a reduction in the number of pills that need to be taken.
There is now more choice for people with diabetes with the inclusion of two further brands of glucose test strips on the PBS, Accu-Chek Performa® and Betachek G5™.
These listings are expected to have no net impact on PBS expenditure as they either provide more convenient dosages or are new brands of products already listed on the PBS.
Information about medicines subsidised by the Commonwealth Government through the PBS is available at www.pbs.gov.au
