Joint Medicines Policy Conference

11 August 2008

Canberra, 25-26 November 2008

The Second Medicines Joint Policy Conference will allow government and the pharmaceutical industry to discuss the challenges on the provision of medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and also other aspects of medicines policy such as registration and marketing of innovative medicines and the role of the consumer in medicines policy.

Taking as its theme The Future of Medicines Policy in Australia, the conference will build upon the momentum achieved by the 2006 Joint Policy Conference.

The conference will also provide an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders to network and discuss issues with government and industry. We look forward to welcoming you to the 2008 Joint Medicines Policy Conference.

Download Program & Registration Brochure for full details (PDF)

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Future of Medicines Policy in Australia.

As Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) turns 60 years old, the scrutiny of medicine policy and patient access to medicines is more intensive than ever.

Currently the Australian Government spends over $6 billion per annum on PBS listed medicines, contributing to over 8 percent of the government’s total health spend. Key issues for the future are to ensure that the Australian public has access to innovative subsidised medicines, ensuring the sustainability of the medicines policy system and maintaining a viable innovative pharmaceutical industry.

To date, the registration and funding of medicines in Australia has functioned well. However, advances in medicine technology, the ageing population and the need to spend the health dollar more wisely continue to provide challenges for the regulation, reimbursement and policy for medicines in Australia.

This conference will look at the challenges ahead for the government and the pharmaceutical industry. Issues that will be examined include the role of health technology assessment (HTA) in Australia, funding of targeted therapies and biologics, the regulatory system of medicines in Australia and the issues it faces, as well as the marketing of medicines.

We are delighted to welcome two international keynote speakers to Canberra:

• Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, Chair of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom, will speak on future issues in HTA.
• Dr Durhane Wong-Rieger, founder and head of the Consumer Advocare Network and President and CEO of the Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes will speak on the role of consumers in health and HTA.