Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise to speak on the National Health Amendment (Effect of Prosecution—Approved Pharmacist Corporations) Bill 2023. I acknowledge that the substance of this bill is important, and the opposition will be supporting the bill because, obviously, it provides greater protection around the integrity of our PBS. We all know that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is an absolute foundational pillar of Australia's health system, and protecting its integrity is something that we believe is extraordinarily important because we need to make sure that Australians continue to have access to affordable medicines. As cost-of-living pressures continue to go up, never before has it been more important that Australians do have that access to affordable medicines. For that reason I foreshadow that I will be moving a second reading amendment because I want to acknowledge the importance of the government continuing what the coalition started, and that is making sure that we have the best possible record when it comes to ensuring that Australians have affordable access to critical medicines.

We are very proud of the fact that when we were in government we listed nearly 3,000 new or amended medicines on the PBS, which represented an extraordinary amount of listings each and every month. We know that, in the final years of the previous Labor government, they stopped listing medicines because they ran out of money. So we will continue to put pressure on this government to make sure that Australians can continue to have access to those affordable medicines—because that is the government's job; that is the reason they are here.

We heard Senator Scarr referring to a particular medication called Fiasp, which is a very innovative form of insulin that is relied on by over 15,000 Australians. We know that at the beginning of March this government sought to no longer enable this drug to be listed on the PBS because of price decisions that were being made which meant that, as of 1 April, this drug would no longer be available. Anybody who has not realised how difficult it would be for 15,000 Australians, or more, to get an appointment with an endocrinologist to get their medication changed in the space of less than one month is not living in the real world.

Obviously, we were pleased that Minister Butler decided that he would temporarily intervene and give an extension of time before this drug was taken off the PBS. But the reality is that all he has done is kick the can down the road, because in October exactly the same situation is going to be confronting those 15,000 Australians who rely on this amazing medication, because once again it will be taken off the PBS. So it is really, really tragic that, already, so early in the term of this government, it is not continuing to provide the medication, and we are starting to see medications come off the PBS.

Equally, one of the things that we were very proud of in government was that, whenever the PBAC made a recommendation about the value of a new drug coming onto the market, or a drug being made available in a different context, we actually approved them and were able to get them quickly and easily into the hands of Australians who relied on them. So to find out that, despite the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommending that a drug that is provided to people with cystic fibrosis, a drug by the name of Trikafta which we had listed for use by people aged 12 and over—once the PBAC had made the recommendation that it was a safe and appropriate drug for children aged between six and 11 who suffer from cystic fibrosis, I suppose we all assumed that the government would make this drug available. Well, so far, the bid on behalf of those young Australians who suffer from cystic fibrosis, those young Australians who, like everybody else, deserve the best possible chance of living their best possible lives—they have been denied it. In another instance of this government undermining the strength of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, it has not listed this drug for those 500 young children—where this could make a life-changing difference to their lives.

We would say to the government: please support our second reading amendment, which will ensure Tricafta is available for young children aged between five and 12 who suffer from cystic fibrosis. Make sure you use your ministerial discretion, Minister Butler, to enable those 15,000 or so people who live with diabetes, who have had their lives changed by this innovative drug called Fiasp—please, government, stop worrying so much and putting your budget bottom line ahead of the lives and wellbeing of Australians who rely on these amazing drugs. These drugs were made available under the previous government but so far appear not to be a priority for the government we have in place.

It's really sad that, in all the broken promises we have seen this government break so far, whether they be issues in relation to cost of living, electricity prices which were supposed to be coming down by $275—there is nothing more unconscionable than breaking promises to Australians who rely on lifesaving and life-changing medications, which is what we are seeing here. I would be very disappointed if we didn't see the government support the second reading amendment that has been put forward by the coalition, to seek that they reinstate the drug Fiasp for insulin-dependent diabetics and list Tricafta for those young Australians. It can make so much difference in their lives. It would be a great sign of good faith on your behalf, government, if you would be prepared to do that. Unless we are prepared to prioritise our health system, particularly this pillar—that is, making sure that our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is the best it possibly can be—you are not doing your job. We support the bill, but we seek your support in amending it to make it better.