The PBAC has reviewed its recommendation to put tighter controls around an important asthma medication for children.
It approved removing the limitations requiring specialist prescribing on 12 May 2023, allowing patients to return to getting a prescription from their GP.
Department of Health and Aged Care officials will now work with the supplier, GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd (GSK), to finalise the revised listing details and the Government will make further announcements once an agreement is reached.
Following representations from health professionals and advocacy groups the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mr Mark Butler, wrote to PBAC respectfully asking them to review their decision and at this month’s meeting, the PBAC acknowledged the concerns related to the restrictions, particularly for families living in rural and remote areas, as well as from clinicians.
“I wrote to the PBAC in May – after health professionals and advocacy groups raised concerns with my office – and asked them to take another look at these issues,” Minister Butler said, noting that it was not a decision that he made lightly.
“The experts that oversee the PBS do an amazing job, but this one just didn’t ring true for me after I talked to a range of parents… and to the clinicians and to the company that makes this medicine, GSK.
“The original recommendation led to unintended consequences for GPs and families and young children who have limited access to alternative asthma treatment, so, I did take that decision to ask them politely to review the decision, and I’m really glad they came together very quickly and made a new decision.
“I am pleased that the PBAC has now reconsidered its advice about Flixotide Jr and Axotide Jr and now patients will now be able to get their prescription from their GP.”
Changes made to the PBS on 1 April 2023 previously saw 50mcg Axotide Junior and Flixotide Junior (fluticasone propionate) be restricted to children aged 6 years and under, be initially prescribed by a respiratory specialist, and only prescribed with authority approval by Medicare.
The RACGP welcomed the decision and President Dr Nicole Higgins highlighted that the college had also written to the PBAC Chair, Professor Andrew Wilson, querying the reasoning behind the original move.
“This is a win for Australian families at a time of high cost of living pressures… a great result for patient care, and I applaud Minister Butler for raising this with PBAC and making it a priority,” she said on 15 May 2023.
“The original changes were bad news in terms of equity of access, particularly since fluticasone propionate is the mainstay of asthma management for children and teenagers.
“Inability to access PBS subsidies and the cost of the script being ineligible in counting towards the safety net put them at a real disadvantage at a time of high cost of living pressures – the family basically had to choose between incurring paediatrician or respiratory physician appointment fees, or the $11 to $28 cost per inhaler of a private script.
“The RACGP is unaware of any inappropriate prescribing of fluticasone propionate in young children, so the clinical need for this change was always unclear and that is why we pushed back so strongly against it.”
Dr Higgins also pointed out that there were also additional costs to the broader health system in terms of unnecessary consultations with paediatric respiratory physicians and paediatricians.
“Let’s use this as a learning experience. The RACGP was not aware of any open consultation on this issue before the changes were announced by PBAC, so in future it’s important to listen to all voices on such important decisions and that includes GPs and practice teams.”