Advice of amendments to August PBS publications

1 August 2008

Please note the following amendments apply to the 1 August 2008 version of the schedule and website.  These will be corrected for the 1 September 2008 release. 

CYCLOSPORIN

The Brand Price Premium was updated for cyclosporin but this change is not reflected in the Note for the section 100 listings of this drug.  This applies to item codes 6352H, 6353J and 6354K.

 The note for item code 6352H should read:

• "Note:
    A brand premium of $0.97 applies to Neoral 25 brand. Both brands may not be available in all hospitals."

 The note for item code 6353J should read:

• "Note:
    A brand premium of $1.05 applies to Neoral 50 brand. Both brands may not be available in all hospitals."

The note for item code 6354K should read:

• "Note:
    A brand premium of $1.08 applies to Neoral 100 brand. Both brands may not be available in all hospitals."

DASATINIB

The Restriction for dasatinib was updated but a sentence omitted.  This applies to item codes 2478K, 2482P and 2485T.

In the restriction for item codes 2478K, 2482P and 2485T, the first point (ii) should read:

• "(ii) Loss of a previously documented major cytogenetic response (demonstrated by the presence of greater than 35% Ph positive cells on bone marrow biopsy), during ongoing imatinib therapy (Note: a BCR/ABL qPCR > 1% alone is not evidence of loss of response); OR."

INFLIXIMAB

The Restriction for infiximab was updated but the word 'adalimumab' appears in three instances where the word 'infliximab' should appear.  This applies to item code 9613Y.

 In the restriction for item code 9613Y, the second point (d) under the second heading "Public and private hospital authority required - Initial 1" should read:

• "(d) be assessed clinically as requiring surgery or total parenteral nutrition (TPN) as the next therapeutic option, in the absence of infliximab."

In the restriction for item code 9613Y, the definition for adequate response to treatment under the second heading "Public and private hospital authority required - Continuing..." should read:

• "An adequate response to infliximab treatment is defined as:"

In the restriction for item code 9613Y, the definition for adequate response to treatment under the second heading "Public and private hospital authority required - Continuing..." should read:

• "Where an assessment is not submitted to Medicare Australia within these timeframes, patients will be deemed to have failed to respond, or to have failed to sustain a response, to treatment with infliximab."