Patient advocacy is in VIVA’s DNA. Helping to improving the health outcomes of everyday Australians is at the heart of everything we do, and a core passion for us as health communication strategists. A fundamental component of healthcare advocacy is access – to the best treatments, services and healthcare professionals.

As such, we welcome and support the call for Australian patients to have more say in discussions on government-reimbursed medicine.

The BMS Australia-commissioned report released this week has highlighted the critical need for patients to be more involved in discussions around which treatments are reimbursed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Those Australians with lived experience of the disease can provide valuable insight into disease treatment and management, alongside other key stakeholders.

Incorporating more patient voices into the PBS conversation is an important step forward in bettering patient outcomes, and we look forward to seeing changes in this space.

Read more about the report in The Australian.