Fri 24 May 13

Alprazolam to become S8

AN interim decision of the delegate of the Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing will see alprazolam rescheduled as S8 substance, with a proposed date for the change of 01 Jan 2014.

---

Fri 24 May 13

FIP joins collaboration call

THE International Pharmaceutical Federation is one of five global health professional bodies jointly calling for a new international emphasis on collaborative practice.

---

Thu 23 May 13

CSIRO Janssen-Cilag deal

THE CSIRO has announced a new collaborative research project on Alzheimer’s disease, in partnership with Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd.

---

Thu 23 May 13

PBS Diabetes review open

PUBLIC submissions are now being sought on medicines used in the management of type 2 diabetes, with the move being the next stage of the Post-Market Review of the condition.

---

Wed 22 May 13

PBS reform failure – GMiA

The Generic Medicines Industry Association says that the government’s PBS reforms have failed on a number of key measures - and in particular have not made medicines more affordable for the majority of users of the scheme.

---

Wed 22 May 13

API warns of ‘trade-offs’

AUSTRALIAN Pharmaceutical Industries has joined early jockeying for position in the negotiation of the next Community Pharmacy Agreement, warning that it may be forced to lengthen the delivery time for medications if Community Service Obligation funding isn’t increased.

---

Tue 21 May 13

AZ boosts local production

ASTRAZENECA Australia has announced a third production line at its plant in North Ryde, NSW, significantly boosting capacity in response to growing Chinese demand for a key asthma drug.

---

Tue 21 May 13

6CPA talks “premature”

HEALTH Minister Tanya Plibersek says any discussions relating to increased dispensing fees in the next Community Pharmacy Agreement are premature, with a spokesperson saying yesterday’s Medicines Australia report on the impact of PBS reforms contains “errors, inaccuracies and a selective use of statistics,” says the AFR.

---

Mon 20 May 13

New direct buying option

INDEPENDENT pharmacies are being invited to bypass “big wholesalers such as API or Sigma and Symbion,” with the launch of a new trading website operated by Sydney-based United Prestige.

---

Mon 20 May 13

New PBS medicines low

A MAJOR report released this morning by Medicines Australia has found that the number of new PBS listings last year was the lowest level in 20 years, despite huge savings to the government from the PBS reform process.

---