Terms of Reference

Inquiry into Consumer Access to Pharmaceutical Benefits

Terms of Reference

On  30  September  2010 the Senate referred the following matter to the Community Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by  25 November 2010:  

        Consumer access to pharmaceutical benefits and the creation of new therapeutic groups through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), including:  

                (a) the impact of new therapeutic groups on consumer access to existing PBS drugs, vaccines and future drugs, particularly high cost drugs;  

                (b) the criteria and clinical evidence used to qualify drugs as interchangeable at a patient level;
  
                (c) the effect of new therapeutic groups on the number and size of patient contributions;  

                (d) consultation undertaken in the development of new therapeutic groups;  

                (e) the impact of new therapeutic groups on the classification of medicines in F1 and F2 formularies;

                (f) the delay to price reductions associated with the price disclosure provisions due to take effect on 1 August 2009 and the reasons for the delay;  

                (g) the process and timing of consideration by Cabinet of high cost drugs and vaccines;  
  
                (h) and any other related matters.


The Senate re-referred this inquiry with the same terms of reference as the committee's previous inquiry  during the 42nd Parliament.  This reference was re-referred so  the committee can complete and table a comprehensive report on  its findings.


For further information, contact:

Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone:+61 2 6277 3515
Fax:+61 2 6277 5829
Email:community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au

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