Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the shadow minister for his question. As has been the subject of some public commentary, earlier this year the government took a decision to defer a number of recommendations from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, PBAC. There were some seven pharmaceutical products recommended by PBAC which have been deferred—they have not been rejected by the cabinet. A decision was taken to defer them in the context of the government's fiscal position and our commitment to return the budget to surplus in 2012-13. Even within those fiscal parameters, though, the government has been completely definite about our position that we will list medicines to treat serious and life-threatening conditions. The only deferrals that have taken place have been in areas where there is an alternative medication. We continue to take a proactive approach to listing on the PBS PBAC recommendations for medicines that deal with serious and life-threatening conditions.

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