FEDERAL Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, has urged Australia's health professionals to "embrace more innovative ways to support the appropriate uptake of biosimilar medicines".
He was giving the keynote address at a high-level forum for the health sector on Wed this week, hosted by GBMA Education, the educational arm of the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA).
The event, at NSW Parliament House, was titled 'Your Patients Your Government Multidisciplinary Forum and Workshop'.
Medical specialists, GPs, community and hospital pharmacists, private and public hospitals, patient advocacy groups and Government representatives came together to explore key topics for biosimilar medicines and their role in supporting the future of sustainable healthcare in Australia.
The occasion was also streamed online nationally to the broader healthcare sector.
Hunt welcomed the forum, saying it was a "co-operative endeavour to deliver better health for all Australians."
"The Government is committed to working closely with the GBMA and the health care sector, to support a robust generic and biosimilar sector for the benefit of all Australians now and into the future," he said.
GBMA Education Chief Executive Officer, Marnie Peterson, supported Hunt's commitment, highlighting education as just one of the tools to drive biosimilar medicines uptake.
"We all have an important role to play in ensuring that biosimilar medicines deliver to their full potential, to support the sustainability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme allowing all Australians greater, and more affordable, access to innovative medicines," Peterson said.
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