Doctors are being forced to prescribe less effective pain medication to palliative care patients amid an ongoing shortage of critical medicines, palliative care leaders have warned.
Palliative Care Australia and other health bodies have released an 11-point plan that aims to address the ongoing shortages of critical pain relief medicines and improve the care provided to people at the end of their lives.
In an open letter to members of parliament the group called for urgent action, including the removal of PBS patient contributions for medicines supplied under the Palliative Care Schedule – making the medicines free to patients and families.
“Many of the affected medicines are vital opioid analgesics that have been used for decades to manage severe pain and other symptoms in palliative care patients. With the supply of these medicines becoming increasingly uncertain, clinicians are forced to prescribe less effective alternatives, resulting in less reliable pain relief and risking unwanted side effects,” the letter states.
“Families, already grappling with the emotional toll of a loved one’s decline, are often left navigating these disruptions, with the added stress of figuring out alternatives, often at substantial financial cost where alternatives are not available on the PBS.”
“It is so sad that this hasn’t been addressed and managed properly. As someone with an elderly mother needing regular Ordine, the stress of accessing it has exacerbated our stress,” one carer said.
“Having to change to different medications at this stage of people’s lives is very challenging for them as the alternatives are often not as effective,” another said.
The group said there has been little progress from the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Therapeutic Goods Administration toward ensuring a stable supply of these medicines.
It said the cost of subsiding medicines on the PBS Palliative Care Schedule is low compared with the cost of newly introduced medicines.
“With 1.3 million scripts filled under the Palliative Care Schedule in 2022-23 (93% on a concessional basis), it is estimated the cost to the Australian Government would be $14.8 million per annum.”
Each day around 400 people in Australia die of a terminal illness, yet more than three in five (62%) do not receive specialist palliative care at any stage, according to Palliative Care Australia.
It warned that without action, access to palliative care around the country is set to get worse. It is calling on better access to palliative care to be a key commitment from the next Federal Government.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care said the TGA recognised the critical role opioid analgesics play in palliative care and is engaging with stakeholders to address the shortages.
“To facilitate ongoing access to oral morphine products, the TGA has approved access to several overseas-registered medicines under section 19A of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989,” they said.
“The TGA is also continuing to investigate the registration and/or supply of new Australian products and some of the medicines that had been previously discontinued have recommenced supply, or will soon recommence supply.”
More on the 11-point plan can be found here.