John Murphy (Reid, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to speak on this motion moved by the member for Pearce, although with great respect to my friends the member for Pearce and the member for Moore I do not support parts (5), (6) and (7) of the motion. It is important to clarify, firstly, that the government had agreed to list seven new medicines and vaccines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and National Immunisation Program and defer the listing of seven other drugs. Understandably, the government is concentrating on listing drugs for serious conditions and where alternative treatments are not available. The drugs that will not be listed at this time will still be reconsidered and are mostly for conditions where existing treatments are already available on the PBS. Further, 52 new and amended listings and new brands of existing listings were also listed on 1 April.

I have always supported equitable access to necessary and life-saving drugs at an affordable price. Indeed, let me remind the opposition of some of my long and hard-fought community campaigns to have necessary and life-saving treatments listed. In 2006 I raised my very serious concerns with the Howard government's refusal to list the life-saving breast cancer drug Herceptin on the PBS for people with HER-2 early onset breast cancer. Despite the undeniable benefits of   this life-saving drug with very few side-effects, the PBAC rejected the listing of Herceptin on the cost-effectiveness basis. From the beginning of the campaign in 2001 until the listing of the drug in 2006, many women were going to extraordinary lengths to pay for the drug, at approximately $60,000 a year. One woman told me of her weight loss to reduce the cost of the treatment as she would need less Herceptin in each dose. This was occurring in times of economic prosperity and it was an absolute disgrace. It was only after a very long national campaign led by individuals and support groups, including a petition in my electorate that alone collected over 12,000 signatures, that the former Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, announced that he would consider listing the drug. The decision was only made in light of the overriding human element, aside from a list of criteria presented to the PBAC.

My community also campaigned strongly to extend the PBS eligibility of Alimta to include mesothelioma sufferers. In support of the late Bernie Banton's fight to get equitable access to affordable treatment for this condition, I initiated another petition in my local community that received overwhelming support. At the time, Alimta was a treatment provided on the PBS only to lung cancer patients, some of whom were smokers. It was unconscionable that victims of asbestos related mesothelioma were denied the same access to affordable care. Moreover, different states provided different subsidies. Although Bernie Banton was receiving his treatment free of charge, he did not believe it was right that other victims of asbestos, including workers, children and people who washed asbestos laden clothes, would have to pay $18,000 to $20,000 a year for treatment. Again, it was not until after a very strong and long public campaign, led by the late Bernie Banton, that the former Howard government extended eligibility for Alimta to sufferers of mesothelioma.

More recently, last year, I raised my concern about the availability of the life-saving drug Soliris for sufferers of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria. One of the youngest known sufferers of this rare disease, Whitney Lane, lives in my electorate of Reid. The disease affects roughly 100 Australians and the average life expectancy from diagnosis is just 10 years. Soliris had been recommended by the PBAC for funding under the Life Saving Drug Program; however, the introduction of new PBAC guidelines meant the treatment underwent further consideration. The fact that treatment costs $480,000 per annum per patient and that it is required for 12 to 16 days without failure I believe means the government has to ensure proper scrutiny and planning. Following the positive review of the PBAC under the new funding conditions and criteria, Soliris was listed for PNH sufferers. The government also ensured that the cost of the treatment was capped, irrespective of the number of new sufferers, and took the appropriate measures to ensure public money was providing a very good cost-effective benefit to the community.

The Labor government believes in providing better health and hospital services for our country and is endeavouring to put the 'care' back into the healthcare system that was so sorely lacking under the former Howard government. We will continue to ensure that the PBS remains sustainable so that it continues to provide low-cost medications to Australians, ever mindful of the responsibility that the funding is targeted to make sure patients and taxpayers are getting value for money.

On a positive note, I thank the member for Pearce for putting the motion on the Notice Paper so that we could debate it. Notwithstanding that, I cannot support parts (4), (5), (6) and (7).

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