On September 17 the Senate released their report from the inquiry with key recommendations that we hope are implemented.
Below is some of the key recommendations from the report released on 17 September, that the Unicorn Foundation endorses as a result of the Senate Inquiry.
Key Recommendations
Recommendation 1 included:
- that the Australian Government initiate a comprehensive review of the system for the registration and subsidisation of medicines. The review should examine:
- all available pathways for registration and listing of new medicines including making provision for utilisations of assessments conducted by comparable overseas regulators; provision for clinicians and/or patient groups to apply for extension of existing registrations to additional indications, managed access programs and risk-sharing, and the adoption of more flexible evidential requirements
- ensuring greater transparency throughout the assessment process
- options for expanding post-market review of medicines
- enhancing and formalising mechanisms for consumers and clinicians to play a more central and substantial role in the evaluation of new medicines and indications, including;
- consideration of options for expanding consumer and clinician representation on the PBAC;
- enhancing existing avenues for stakeholder input, including the use of consumer and patient hearings
Recommendation 2 included:
- the committee recommends that the Australian Government commission a review of current data collection mechanisms for cancer medicines, including identification of:
- obstacles to the integration of exisiting databases and potential avenues for addressing these;
- opportunities to incorporate data from post-market evaluations; and
- avenues for capturing data relating to the off-label use of cancer medicines
Recommendation 3 included:
- the committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a Steering Committee to examine the feasibility of establishing a national register of cancer medicines
We implore our patients and supporters to get behind these recommendations that urgent in the care of cancers and in particular rare cancers.
Please write to your local member and ask them to endorse the recommendations that have come out of this historical inquiry click here for a list of all representatives.
For the Senate Inquiry report and recommendations download here
To view the day's proceedings click here or review the Unicorn Foundation submission on PDF format click here.
