David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Why is it important to list life-changing medicines on the PBS, and how is the Albanese Labor government overcoming opposition to making those medicines cheaper?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wonder whether, on indulgence, I could add my words of welcome to the Never2Young group from Bowel Cancer Australia. They've been sharing their stories with members across the chamber about the alarming increase in rates of bowel cancer among young Australian adults and the need for us to lift our awareness, our understanding and our early diagnosis and treatment of young adults. Thank you for sharing your often very difficult stories with us today.

I know the member for Bean campaigned very hard at the last election on our promise to deliver cheaper medicines, and we are delivering on that promise. Last July we slashed the maximum amount pensioners would pay for their medicines across the year. In September we cut the price of 2,000 brands of medicine, putting $130 million back into the pockets of hardworking Australians. On 1 January we delivered the biggest cut to the price of medicines in the 75-year history of the PBS. In just five months, $100 million has been saved by general patients on nine million cheaper scripts because of that decision. That is $100 million back into the pockets of hardworking Australians at a time of a global cost-of-living shock, and that figure will climb each and every month because of decisions taken on this side of the chamber.

We continue to put more and more medicines on the PBS, giving Australians affordable access to new, cutting-edge treatments that continue to be brought to market in this turbocharged period of discovery that we are all so lucky to be living through. Just this month, we listed Erlyand, a new treatment for a particular form of metastatic prostate cancer. As we in this House all know, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australia and the third-biggest cancer killer, taking the lives of around 3½ thousand Australian men each year. This non-chemo treatment is highly effective, has very limited side effects and is able to be taken in tablet form at home, rather than forcing patients to hospitals or to travel often significant distances to medical centres. Around 3,000 men will benefit every single year from this listing, paying just $30 as a maximum for a script instead of the tens of thousands of dollars that they would otherwise pay. One patient, Graham, for example, said after the listing: 'I am so grateful this drug is getting on the PBS. I have a friend in America who is paying $22,000 a month for this treatment.'

Listings on the PBS, I think we in this House all know, change and save lives. Our government realises that we still have much more to do, but our commitment to cheaper medicines is making a real difference. (Time expired)