Aussies missing out on meds
November 5, 2010
AUSTRALIA ranks in the bottom
third for expenditure on medicines
as a proportion of the GDP,
according to the figures outlined in
the ‘Rx&D International Report on
Access to Medicines 2009-10’.
The Canadian report, which
looked at how drugs are publicly
covered by countries that are part
of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development
(OECD), took into account results
from countries including Japan,
Canada, the US, New Zealand,
Spain and Poland.
According to the study’s findings
the average international positive
reimbursement percentage for
drugs which had received a
Canadian Expert Drug Advisory
Committee approval (150 drugs)
was 64%, with numbers ranging
from 15% in Poland to Australia’s
60% and 88% in America.
In terms of the percent of GDP
spent on health, the USA came
out on top with 16%, followed by
France at around 11%.
Australia however ranked 23rd
out of 31 countries for its health
spend at just 8% of GPD (NZ’s
spend was just under 10%).
Australia also ranked 24 out of
30 for government’s share of
national health expenditure; 20 out
of 29 for the proportion of first-inclass
medicines that were
subsidised in Australia (52% as
compared to the average of 65%);
and 20 out of 29 for subsidised
oncology drugs.
“In essence this report measures
the willingness of governments to
pay for new innovative
pharmaceuticals and Australia
doesn’t stack up too well,” said
Medicines Australia chief executive,
Dr Brendan Shaw.
“It is quite confronting that
Australia underspends the broader
OECD on healthcare and
innovative medicines,” he added.
Australia, according to Shaw, is
laging behind other OECD
countries in making new medicines
available to its citizens.
“We assume that public funding
of healthcare in Australia is high by
global standards.
“However, Australia is falling
behind other countries in making
innovative medicines available to
patients,” Shaw added.
In his closing remarks to media,
Shaw also called on Australian
policy makers to rethink the
nation’s health spend allocation.
To view the report CLICK HERE.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 05 Nov 10To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 05 Nov 10
