The Black Vault

Australian News.
25th June 2012


11 new drugs added to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS).

CYSTIC fibrosis sufferers will be among 45,000 people to benefit from cheaper medicines following the Federal Government's approval of 11 new medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The new listings were announced yesterday by health minister Tanya Plibersek, who said they would provide patients with access to new, affordable treatments for a range of ailments.

Among the listed medicines is Mannitol, sold as Bronchitol, an innovative treatment developed by an Australian pharmaceutical company in an easy-to-use, portable inhaler.

Ms Plibersek said the new medicine reduced the amount of mucus build-up in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis.

She said it could be used by all patients over the age of six who could not use, or were not responsive to, medicines already listed on the PBS.

"In addition to Mannitol, other Australians will also benefit in the coming months from the Australian Government's decision to provide subsidised access to a further 10 medicines through the PBS," she said.

"This will ensure more patients have greater access to the medicines and treatment they need at subsidised prices."

The new medicines to be added to the PBS include aflibercept (sold as Eylea), which is for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration in patients new to drug treatment.

Ms Plibersek said the decision to list aflibercept (Eylea) would reduce the number of visits to the doctor that some macular degeneration patients needed to make to receive the injections, from every month to every two months.

Listings are subject to final arrangements being met by the suppliers of the medicines.


The decision to list aflibercept (Eylea) will benefit patients who have not previously received treatment for age-related macular degeneration, she added. “This listing of aflibercept (Eylea) will reduce the number of visits to the doctor that some patients need to make to receive the injections, from every month to every two months,” Ms Plibersek said. “Patients would have to pay more than $13,000 per year for this medicine without subsidised access through the PBS,”The maximum amount they will now pay for their prescriptions is A$5.80. she noted.

The listings, which are subject to final arrangements being met by the suppliers of the medicines, are:

• aflibercept (Eylea), for age-related macular degeneration, manufactured by Bayer;
• auranofin (Ridaura), for rheumatoid arthritis, from BNM Group;
• bortezomib (Velcade), bone marrow cancer, Janssen, a Johnson & Johnson unit;
• cabazitaxel (Jevtana), metastatic prostate cancer, Sanofi;
• denosumab (Prolia), osteoporosis, Amgen;
• etanercept (Enbrel), severe chronic psoriasis for children, Pfizer;
• human menopausal gonadotrophin (Menopur), IVF, Ferring;
• icatibant (Firazyr), hereditary angioedema (swelling that can impede breathing); Shire
• mannitol (Bronchitol), cystic fibrosis, Pharmaxis;
• pazopanib (Votrient), kidney cancer, GlaxoSmithKline; and
• rasagiline (Azilect), Parkinson’s disease, Lundbeck.

Also agrees six price hikes

The government has also agreed to increase the price of six medicines currently listed on the PBS. This will ensure a number of essential medicines continue to be available. They include: heparin injection (preservative-free) for the prevention and treatment of blood clots, idarubicin capsules (Zavedos) for the treatment of leukemia, levonorgestrel intrauterine (Mirena) for use as a contraception and treatment of abnormally heavy and pronged menstrual bleeding, metformin with glibenclamide (Glucovance) for the treatment of diabetes, methyldopa (Hydopa) for the treatment of high blood pressure and estradiol vaginal tablets (Vagifem) for use as hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women.

The price increases for these medicines will have no impact on concessional patients which constitute around 80% of PBS prescriptions. The maximum amount they will pay for their prescriptions is A$5.80. General patients will continue to have access to subsidized medicines and will pay between A$0.57 and A$3.54 more for these medicines.

rath wrote:Also agrees six price hikes

The government has also agreed to increase the price of six medicines currently listed on the PBS. This will ensure a number of essential medicines continue to be available. They include: heparin injection (preservative-free) for the prevention and treatment of blood clots, idarubicin capsules (Zavedos) for the treatment of leukemia, levonorgestrel intrauterine (Mirena) for use as a contraception and treatment of abnormally heavy and pronged menstrual bleeding, metformin with glibenclamide (Glucovance) for the treatment of diabetes, methyldopa (Hydopa) for the treatment of high blood pressure and estradiol vaginal tablets (Vagifem) for use as hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women.

The price increases for these medicines will have no impact on concessional patients which constitute around 80% of PBS prescriptions. The maximum amount they will pay for their prescriptions is A$5.80. General patients will continue to have access to subsidized medicines and will pay between A$0.57 and A$3.54 more for these medicines.

June 01, 2012

Workers on the minimum wage will receive a $17.10 boost to their weekly pay packets following a ruling by the industrial umpire today.

Fair Work Australia's decision means minimum pay packets will rise to $606.40-a-week from July 1, up from $589.30.

Australias Prime Minister, Ms Gillard says the decision is good news for low-paid workers.

"I welcome this decision today," she said in Sydney.

The Prime Minister said the Government wants "to see low paid workers doing better" and has already put in place other measures to help those doing it tough.

She said a good example of this was the school kids bonus, which will see eligible parents receive $410 for each primary school student and $825 for each secondary school student, payed each year they are at school.

"We're working hard on it as government... (to provide) a bit of cost of living help and relief," Ms Gillard said.

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This is not anything new and is worldwide. The comments about Canadian health care are completely false. In fact Canadian Health care could even be worse. It is well known within hospitals and palliative care facilities that there paid to keep the patients there and for as short time as possible.

For example in the event someone that has been expected to die makes any kind of progress in recovery. They are denied access to be transferred and or access to life saving treatments. They are not aloud to go home (Care provider or not) And in many cases will be put on drugs so they won't protest or recover further. They are deliberately fed less food then needed, not aloud to exercise and like the poster first brought up. Drugs are used to hasten and even cause the death itself.

This is not knew. In fact if you look up QuackSalvers or Serial killers with a medical profession. These people are labeled with a crime based on common practice and were only brought to justice as a scape goat rather then doing anything out of the normal.

This is seen (at a lesser extent on average) in Retirement homes and elderly facilities. Abuse is everywhere and the people that work at these places are the scum of the earth.

I suggest that you do like I have done most of my life and Avoid health care at all costs. At the very least avoid ever going to a permanent care facility.

Snug if you are from Canada, I think we would all like to know what are the bad aprts about Canada's socialized medicine. I'm sure it is not all bad, and like any country you can find these extremes and horror stories. I mad ethe statement, it is not uncommon for Canadians to come to the USA for many kinds of surguries.

Today is the big day as far as Obamacare and if the Supreme Court throws it out, or elimiates parts of it only. I'm sure the Court will decide on some of the basic conepts being unconstitutional, they are not going to go into the nuts and bolts of how the service works, claims, etc. The will only be concerned with the concept of forcing people to buy insurance.

As far as avoiding any medical care at all, and at all costs. Everyone should have regular check ups, and have a regular doctor, dentist, and opthomologist IMHO. Regular dental cleaning 2 times a year, eye exams, etc. EVeryone should have regular check ups and blood tests. So I disagree about avoiding any and all medical care.

Snug wrote:I suggest that you do like I have done most of my life and Avoid health care at all costs. At the very least avoid ever going to a permanent care facility.

I'm certainly not the picture of health, but, I have avoided doctors like the plague most of my adult life. And I think I'm better off for it. I've taken very few antibiotics in my life and that's a good thing because they work whenever I have something serious. My wife on the other hand runs to the doctor every time she sneezes, and gets antibiotics prescribed to her every time. That's a waste of money and it's not helping her body, it's hurting it. Doctors WAY over-prescribe antibiotics when they should just settle for a small doctor's visit fee and send someone home with a cold.

I remember as a kid, noticing that people who took their car to the mechanic with every little annoyance, ended up spending ALL their time at the mechanic. I suspected then that maybe mechanics did things to keep the car coming back. In fact, when I worked a full-serve gas station, I witnessed an employee--who was supposed to be checking the fluid levels in the customer's car as their gas was being pumped--pull out a pocket knife and cut their radiator hose.

My Dad was a big fan of chiropractors. Same idea. If you've ever gone to one, you'll notice they always tell you that you are in bad shape and need to see them at least twice a week. I went to them for years and years at my Father's bidding, but I was smart enough to realize--if they were actually doing you any good whatsoever, then the frequency of your visits should be diminishing. But that never happens! They need you to keep coming back.

I believe chiropractic is a huge scam and I have a lot of personal experience to prove it.

But doctors, I feel are in a similar level. They need you to keep coming back so--whatever it takes--they will make sure you have regular appointments.

My problem now is, I am old enough to need prescription medication. So the doctor has me right where he wants me. If I don't see him on a regular basis, he quits writing the necessary prescriptions.

I'm 46 years old, and every time I see him (4 times a year) he puts me through a bunch of expensive blood tests. It's the kind of treatment you would expect if you were 75 years old with a heart condition and diabetes. Recently my white blood count spiked and he had me half-way convinced I had cancer. He sent me to a hematologist and that guy put me through a thousand dollars worth of blood tests. All negative, "Oh well, nothing wrong with you. Have a nice day."

All of it just to keep the money rolling in.

I hate doctors.

Totally Agee with you on the chiropractors, complete scam, everyone who goes ends up dependant on them. I think they're actually doing real damage.

Never been to a bone cruncher myself either, I have a real problem with them not being doctors, therefore not having the know how to determain if they could be causing more damage, or harming you.

I think most men are not too prone to going to the doctor, and women are, but they have other issues that require it more. Hate to admit it, but after certain ages, your body does require a little more looking at, and regular blood tests. Unfortunatly, it many times means more tests, that end up in negatives, like an expensive catscan I had to do, when they thought I had something on my lung. Thank God it was negative. Tom we all reach an age where you may need to take maintinace drugs, from findings on simple tests early in life. We never miss regular dental cleanings, and overdue for eye exams, both having a history of Glacoma in our Fathers, so thats a must. Wait until you get to joint the Colonoscopy club in a few years. The test is easy, as long as they knock you out. Drinking that crap the night before, I'll spare you the details about.

greeney2 wrote:Never been to a bone cruncher myself either, I have a real problem with them not being doctors, therefore not having the know how to determain if they could be causing more damage, or harming you.

I think most men are not too prone to going to the doctor, and women are, but they have other issues that require it more. Hate to admit it, but after certain ages, your body does require a little more looking at, and regular blood tests. Unfortunatly, it many times means more tests, that end up in negatives, like an expensive catscan I had to do, when they thought I had something on my lung. Thank God it was negative. Tom we all reach an age where you may need to take maintinace drugs, from findings on simple tests early in life. We never miss regular dental cleanings, and overdue for eye exams, both having a history of Glacoma in our Fathers, so thats a must. Wait until you get to joint the Colonoscopy club in a few years. The test is easy, as long as they knock you out. Drinking that crap the night before, I'll spare you the details about.

I hate doctors, but the sentiment is mutual. I never follow their advice. When it comes to that test, I'll just refuse it. Sorry doc. I have a colleague at work who is a Vietnam Vet. He said the worst experience of his life... was not Vietnam. It was his colonoscopy test, and he didn't spare me the details. I'll punch a doctor out if he comes at me with that damn "probe."

I'd sooner suffer one of those painful experiments witnesses speak about with the aliens.

I went to a urologist a couple years back and I got to see what my bladder looks like. It's pink. I don't know if that's worse than a colonoscopy as I never had one but being probed from the front with a little camera was no fun, especially when he had to penetrate the sphincter.

I started having muscle spasms in my neck and back in my late 20's and the chiropractor helped a lot. The medical doctors put me on a muscle relaxer and vicodin which helped until the meds ran out and then the pain was still there. The chiropractor took the pain away in about 30 minutes. They wanted to see me more times but I just needed that one adjustment.

I wouldn't really know but I don't think med school is about teaching people to be con artists. There are con artists (dishonest people) in every profession. I bet they're more prevalent in the auto repair industry than medicine...

I would say be very careful with your reasons for loathing doctors as greeney says one day the body does need more looking after than when we were twenty somethings.

I loathe them but I do go regularly, as, like I said, they have my back against the wall. I have life-long prescriptions that need to be filled. Having gout and allergies does not warrant having to see the doctor for a 4-vile blood test every 3 months. Enough is enough. I'm probably the youngest patient this doctor has. He sees 70-90 year olds every day. So he has this mentality of, whenever something looks the least bit suspicious in my blood test, he freaks out like I'm going to die, puts me through the ringer and sends me to specialists, who drain my bank account and send me home with no problems.