PALLIATIVE Care Australia (PCA) has called on the Federal Govt to support the manufacture of opioid-based pain relief medication in Australia, reducing reliance on imports in the face of ongoing "heartbreaking" shortages.
Tasmania is the world's largest producer of poppies, the raw ingredient needed for many of these medicines.
"This is a significant competitive advantage for Australia as global supply chains falter and business models are challenged," said Camilla Rowland, CEO of PCA.
"Our experience during COVID also demonstrates that we have the skills and capacity to manufacture vaccines locally - at that time we were able to have some independence from supply shortages and global transport challenges and look after our own.
"A future made in Australia must include medicines.
"Using Australian-grown poppies to make pain relief medications for Australians just makes sense."
With the support of six other leading health and care organisations, including Advanced Pharmacy Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, PCA has presented an 11 point plan to the Health Minster to resolve the ongoing shortage of pain relief medications (PD 19 Feb).
"We have seen heartbreaking shortages of pain relief medications for people of all ages at the end of life," Rowland said.
"Apart of making these medicines in Australia we are also advocating for a national stockpile to be established and for pharmaceutical companies to give more notice of impending shortages," she added. KB
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