Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Gallagher. The Department of Health and Aged Care has revealed that your government has put a cap on the number of medicines that can be considered for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This is the first time in history that this process has been capped. It will cause serious delays for Australians wanting to access potentially life-saving or life-changing new medicines. Will your government commit to immediately removing this cap?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Kovacic for the question. I think this is the issue that we dealt with in estimates in quite considerable detail, in terms of the management of what has been a very significant increase in applications for PBAC approval. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I recall from estimates that it was a very significant increase that couldn't be dealt with at one meeting, so the decision of the minister was to call for an extra meeting so that all of those applications could be considered in detail and that those were triaged against, as I understand it, an assessment of criteria to make sure that those decisions could be dealt with as quickly as possible.

I think we went into it in detail. The workforce to provide some of those assessments simply isn't as big as we need it to be, so quite a lot of work has been done by the department of health to go out and try to find extra assessors to provide information for that. Everything that can be done is being done to make sure those PBAC meetings—the one that is being held in March and the extra one—are being dealt with as quickly as possible. I reject the insinuation that there has been some sense of control put on it. It is about managing the appropriate safety and regulatory responsibilities to ensure that those applications are processed as quickly as possible. It is highly unusual to have this number come forward, much more than any other standard meeting, and that is why these extra measures have been put in place.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kovacic, a first supplementary?

Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In Senate estimates you said, 'We need to accept the reality that there is only so much that one PBAC meeting can do.' Can you please clarify why you think Australian patients who are waiting for access to life-saving medicines and treatments should accept your government's cap on potential new PBS medicines?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I reject the use of the word 'cap'. There has been double the number of applications come in for assessment through PBAC. We have a system in place that manages how those submissions are dealt with. If you were in government right now, it would be exactly the same for you, so the fact that you are politicising the safety—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Ruston.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and regulatory assessments of medicines in this country is outrageous. We have a certain amount that can be dealt with at the March meeting, so the minister has asked PBAC, has directed PBAC, to hold an additional meeting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. Minister Wong, on a point of order?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston has been called numerous times and she has ignored your requests.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston, it is not a matter of whether your comments are acceptable or unacceptable; they are rude and disorderly and disrespectful. I have asked you several times to be quiet when a minister is answering the question, so I am going to request that you do that, or your choice is to leave the chamber. Minister Gallagher, please continue.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The fact that this is going to be used politically, it seems, is a real shame because the real issue here is that there aren't enough independent assessors to do the work to deliver all of those submissions in a three-day meeting in March, so an extra one has been called for May so that things can be managed as quickly as possible.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Kovacic, a second supplementary?

Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When last in government, Labor took the unprecedented step of deferring the listing of new medicines on the PBS because it couldn't manage the budget. Health minister at the time, Nicola Roxon, said Labor can't in every instance guarantee that a drug will be listed immediately because there are financial consequences for doing that. Minister, Labor promised to list all PBAC recommended medicines on the PBS. Has your government implemented the new PBS cap because you are worried about the financial consequences of delivering on this promise?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will repeat: there is no cap. We are managing unprecedented submissions coming to PBAC and we need to make sure those medicines are safe and ready to use. It is done in March and May. For those opposite that have voted against cheaper medicines in this chamber to then come in here and point the finger at us on medicines, we have done more in 2½ years to bring down the price of medicines, to make sure medicines are more affordable, to make sure people who are on long-term medications can get double the amount of medications for the price of one month. And from 1 July 2022 to 1 November 2024 the government has committed additional funding for 265 new and amended PBS listings. A further 476 items were also approved where the budget funding is already provided and there have been a further 22 price changes. We are doing everything we can to make more medicines available.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.