Australians returning & disposing 600 tonnes of unwanted medicines each year – June 5, 2015
A study published in Australian Prescriber on June 1, 2015 has found more than $2 million of public money is wasted each year with the return of more than 600 tonnes of medicines, many of which are still within their expiry dates, through the National Return and Disposal of Unwanted Medicines Program, since its inception…
Redefining market access success with Reimbursography – June 5, 2015
There’s no better feeling when running a strategic health + wellness communications agency than to identify a need, and be able to deliver a solution. We get to do that today with the introduction of Reimbursography – a strategic communications programme that leverages country-specific access insights to shape the value context for reimbursement success. Reimbursography…
Melanoma patients not attending recommended check-ups – June 4, 2015
New study data released by Australia’s largest melanoma research and treatment centre, Melanoma Institute Australia, reveals many early-stage melanoma patients are not fulfilling the recommended medical check-ups within the first year post- diagnosis. According to an article published in Australian Doctor (June 3, 2015), “only 34 per cent of stage I patients and 14 per…
PBAC advises biosimilar medicines suitable for substitution at pharmacy level – June 2, 2015
In late April, 2015, The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) pledged to consider marking biosimilar medicines equivalent to originator medicines, to which they are referenced against in Australia. This process would involve “a flagging”, whereby the biosimilar would be compared to the originator, in order to identify any significant differences in clinical efficacy or safety.…
7.9 month improvement in metastatic bowel cancer patients following microsphere radiotherapy and chemotherapy – June 2, 2015
As published on Bowel Cancer Australia’s website today, results from an Australian-led global study have shown that treatment with radiation microspheres and chemotherapy (chemo-radiotherapy) improved progression-free survival in the liver by around eight months among metastatic bowel cancer patients. The SIRFLOX study – the world’s largest study of its kind involving 530 metastatic bowel cancer patients…
Protecting your online self – A Guide to Social Media Afterlife: May 29, 2015
Palliative Care Australia’s (PCA) Guide to a Social Media Afterlife launched this week explains how to protect your online data after you pass away. When posting pictures, chatting on Facebook or issuing Tweets into cyberspace, probably the last thing on your mind is your mortality. More than 80 per cent of Aussies have done nothing…
Protect against pneumococcal pneumonia – May 24, 2015
“Pneumococcal pneumonia is a severe lung infection caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, responsible for a large proportion of pneumonia cases among those aged 65 years and above” – A/Prof Lucy Morgan. According to Lung Foundation Australia’s ‘Lungs4Life’ research released this week, fewer than one-in-seven Australians (14 per cent) aged 18 to 74 who have…
Abbott government committed to introducing new therapies to Australia – May 22, 2015
The Abbott Government has implemented more than 652 new and amended listings to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) since winning government in September, 2013. In a press conference held on Thursday, May 21, 2015, Federal Health Minister, The Hon. Sussan Ley MP, said “We are listing new and amended drugs, about 30 a month, which…
Big pharma set for Senate tax avoidance inquiry investigation – May 22, 2015
Following an exposé of alleged “rampant off-shoring” of profits by tech-companies including Apple, Microsoft and Google, Australia’s Economics References Committee met last week to discuss widening the focus of its Senate Tax Avoidance Inquiry to include “big pharma”. The Senate Tax Avoidance Inquiry was referred to the Economics References Committee by Senate on October 2,…
High-risk patients skip pneumonia jab – The West Australian – May 19, 2015
DANGER IGNORED – The West Australian Words by Cathy O’Leary Only one in five West Australians at increased risk of deadly pneumonia is having a preventive vaccine, despite many being eligible for a free jab under the national immunisation program. A Lung Foundation Australia survey has found that even in the high-risk age group of…