Evidence of efficacy of Escitalopram
To: Services Australia
Subject: Freedom of Information Act Request
Dear Services Australia,
I am writing to request access to the evidence of efficacy of Escitalopram, as required for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
I am requesting this information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please provide all relevant information, including any studies, clinical trials, or other evidence that has been used to evaluate the efficacy of Escitalopram for inclusion on the PBS.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
Rex Banner
Thank you for contacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) team in Services
Australia.
This email acknowledges your correspondence and provides some general
information in relation to FOI.
Timeframe For processing your request
Under the FOI Act you have a right, with limited exceptions, to access
documents the agency holds. A FOI request normally takes 30 days to
process.
Please note this period may be further extended if we need to consult
third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.
Charges
Services Australia will advise you if a charge is payable to process your
request and the amount of any such charge as soon as practicable. No
charge is payable for providing a person with their own personal
information.
Your Address
The FOI Act requires you provide us with an address which we can send
notices to. We will send all notices and correspondence to the address you
have used to email us. Please advise us as soon as possible if you wish
correspondence to be sent to another address or if your address changes.
Administrative release of documents
The agency has administrative access arrangements in place for the release
of certain documents without the need for a formal FOI request. These
arrangements do not extend to information or material of third parties.
Exclusion of junior staff details
Services Australia is working towards ensuring all staff have a choice
about whether they provide their full name, personal logon identifiers and
direct contact details in response to FOI requests. Where such details are
included in documents they will be redacted. If you request staff details
as part of your FOI application, this may add to processing time and
applicable charges as it will be necessary to consider whether these
details are exempt under the Act.
Dear Mr Banner,
Please find attached correspondence from Services Australia dated 20
December 2022 in relation to your request for access under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982.
Kind regards,
Leanne, FOI Officer
Information Access Branch
LEGAL SERVICES DIVISION
[1]B3997F7F
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. I pay my
respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander nations.
This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal
professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or
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References
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Dear Rex,
I refer to your request received by Services Australia for access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). You have
requested access to:
the evidence of efficacy of Escitalopram, as required for listing on the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
I am writing to tell you that on 19 December 2022, the Department of
Health and Aged Care (the department) accepted transfer of your request
from Services Australia.
The reference number for your request is FOI-4150. Please ensure that you
quote this number in future correspondence with us concerning this
request.
Timeframes
Your request was received by Services Australia on 12 December 2022 and
the 30-day statutory period for processing your request commenced from the
day after that date. The department will treat your request as though we
received it the same day that Services Australia did. You should expect a
decision from us by 11 January 2023. The period of 30 days may be extended
if we need to consult with third parties or for other reasons. We will
advise you if this happens.
Request for 12 day extension
The FOI Act requires the department to provide you with an access decision
by 11 January 2023 (30 days).
Many areas of the department, including the FOI Section, will be closed
from 24 December 2022 to 2 January 2023.
To ensure the department has sufficient time to process your request and
provide an informed decision, we are seeking your agreement to extend the
period for completing your FOI request by 12 calendar days under section
15AA of the FOI Act). If you agree to this extension, the department would
be required to provide you with an access decision by 23 January 2023.
If you agree to this extension, could let us know as soon as possible by
return email to [1][email address].
Other information
The department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to the documents. If this request attracts a charge you will be
notified in writing.
Unless you advise otherwise:
· any draft and duplicate documents will be excluded from the
scope of your request, and
· any Commonwealth employee names below Senior Executive Service
level and direct telephone numbers of all staff will be excluded from the
scope of your request under s22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act.
Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on our disclosure log
[2]www.health.gov.au/resources/foi-disclosure-log, subject to certain
exceptions. (For example, personal information will not be published where
this would be unreasonable.)
You can contact the FOI team via email at [3][email address] or by phone
on 02 6289 1666, should you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Daniel
FOI Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [4][email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present
Dear FOI,
> We are seeking your agreement to extend the
> period for completing your FOI request by 12 calendar days under section
> 15AA of the FOI Act).
I agree
Yours sincerely,
Rex Banner
Good morning,
I refer to your request of 12 December 2023 to the Department of Health
and Aged Care (department), seeking access under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) to the following documents:
I am writing to request access to the evidence of efficacy of
Escitalopram, as required for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS).
Please provide all relevant information, including any studies, clinical
trials, or other evidence that has been used to evaluate the efficacy of
Escitalopram for inclusion on the PBS.
Notice of Third Party Consultation
Documents have been identified in the scope of your request which contain
information relating to third parties. It has been determined that it
would be appropriate to consult with the affected third parties under
section 27 of the FOI Act prior to a decision on access to those documents
being made.
Section 15(6) of the FOI Act allows the timeframe for processing your
request to be extended by 30 days to facilitate this consultation.
Accordingly, the statutory due date for your request is now Wednesday 22
February 2023.
The department will continue processing your request and provide you with
a decision on access as soon we are able to do so.
Relevant provisions
The FOI Act, including the provisions referred to in this email, can be
accessed from the Federal Register of Legislation website:
[1]www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562.
If you require clarification of any of the matters discussed in this email
you should contact the department’s FOI Section by email at
[2][email address].
Kind regards
Daniel
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [3][email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present
Dear Mr Banner
I refer to your request to the Department of Health and Aged Care (the
department) of 12 December 2022 seeking access to the following under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):
I am writing to request access to the evidence of efficacy
of Escitalopram, as required for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS).
Please provide all relevant information, including any studies, clinical
trials, or other evidence that has been used to evaluate the efficacy of
Escitalopram for inclusion on the PBS.
The statutory due date for your request is currently 22 February 2023.
Request for extension of time
Section 15AA of the FOI Act permits the department to extend the statutory
processing timeframe, with your agreement, for a period of up to 30
calendar days.
To ensure that department has undertaken all reasonable steps to identify
all documents relevant to your request, and for the decision maker to make
a well-balanced decision on access to any such documents identified, the
department is seeking your agreement to an extension of 7 calendar days.
If you agree to this extension, the statutory due date will then be 1
March 2023. The department will however continue to process your request
as quickly as possible.
It would assist if you could please advise by close of business Thursday
16 February 2023 if you agree to this extension of time. If we do not hear
from you by this date or if you do not agree to the extension, the
department may consider seeking an extension of time from the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under section 15AB of the
FOI Act.
We thank you for your ongoing patience and cooperation as we continue to
process your request.
If you have any questions regarding any of the matters discussed in this
email, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Section at
[1][email address].
Kind regards
Daniel
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [2][email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present
From: FOI <[email address]>
Sent: Friday, 20 January 2023 10:08 AM
To: 'Rex Banner' <[FOI #9691 email]>
Subject: TRIM: RE: Freedom of Information request FOI-4150 - Notification
of Affected Third Party Consultation [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Good morning,
I refer to your request of 12 December 2023 to the Department of Health
and Aged Care (department), seeking access under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act) to the following documents:
I am writing to request access to the evidence of efficacy of
Escitalopram, as required for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS).
Please provide all relevant information, including any studies, clinical
trials, or other evidence that has been used to evaluate the efficacy of
Escitalopram for inclusion on the PBS.
Notice of Third Party Consultation
Documents have been identified in the scope of your request which contain
information relating to third parties. It has been determined that it
would be appropriate to consult with the affected third parties under
section 27 of the FOI Act prior to a decision on access to those documents
being made.
Section 15(6) of the FOI Act allows the timeframe for processing your
request to be extended by 30 days to facilitate this consultation.
Accordingly, the statutory due date for your request is now Wednesday 22
February 2023.
The department will continue processing your request and provide you with
a decision on access as soon we are able to do so.
Relevant provisions
The FOI Act, including the provisions referred to in this email, can be
accessed from the Federal Register of Legislation website:
[3]www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A02562.
If you require clarification of any of the matters discussed in this email
you should contact the department’s FOI Section by email at
[4][email address].
Kind regards
Daniel
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [5][email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present
Dear FOI,
> the department is seeking your agreement to an extension of 7 calendar days.
> If you agree to this extension, the statutory due date will then be 1 March 2023.
I agree.
Yours sincerely,
Rex Banner
Dear Mr Banner
I refer to your request to the Department of Health and Aged Care (the
department) of 12 December 2022 seeking access to the following under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):
I am writing to request access to the evidence of efficacy
of Escitalopram, as required for listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme (PBS).
Please provide all relevant information, including any studies, clinical
trials, or other evidence that has been used to evaluate the efficacy of
Escitalopram for inclusion on the PBS.
The statutory due date for your request is currently 01 March 2023.
Request for extension of time
Section 15AA of the FOI Act permits the department to extend the statutory
processing timeframe, with your agreement, for a period of up to 30
calendar days.
We thank you for your ongoing patience, but the third party the department
consulted has requested extra time to review the documents.
To ensure that department has undertaken all reasonable steps to identify
all documents relevant to your request, and for the decision maker to make
a well-balanced decision on access to any such documents identified, the
department is seeking your agreement to an extension of 7 calendar days.
If you agree to this extension, the statutory due date will then be 8
March 2023. The department will however continue to process your request
as quickly as possible.
It would assist if you could please advise by close of business Friday 24
February 2023 if you agree to this extension of time. If we do not hear
from you by this date or if you do not agree to the extension, the
department may consider seeking an extension of time from the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) under section 15AB of the
FOI Act.
We thank you for your ongoing patience and cooperation as we continue to
process your request.
If you have any questions regarding any of the matters discussed in this
email, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Section at
[1][email address].
Kind regards
Daniel
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [2][email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present
Dear FOI,
Thanks for your email.
Is the third party willing to disclose who they are (if it's a company) and why the extension of time is needed so I can better assess if the extension of time is warranted? If not could you please apply to the OAIC if needed who are in a better position to ascertain if an extension should be granted in this case.
Yours sincerely,
Rex Banner
Dear Mr Banner,
Thank you for your email.
Following our recent correspondence, I have now received a submission from
the aforementioned third party. At present, I do not have the third
parties consent to disclose their information.
Due to the delayed submission from the third party and the large number of
documents and pages to review – this extension is required to provide the
decision maker sufficient time to make a make a well-balanced decision on
access to the documents identified.
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss further.
Kind regards,
Daniel
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [1][email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present
Dear FOI,
Thanks for getting back to me, I agree to the 7 day extension.
Yours sincerely,
Rex Banner
Dear Mr Banner
We refer to your FOI request received on 12 December 2022.
Please find attached a decision on access. Due to the size of the documents referred to in that decision they will be sent separately by email.
If you have any queries in relation to this decision, please contact the FOI Section on the details below.
Robert
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present
Dear Mr Banner
Please find Part 2 of 4 attached.
Robert
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present
From: FOI
Sent: Wednesday, 8 March 2023 5:07 PM
To: 'Rex Banner' <[FOI #9691 email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information Request 4150 - Decision on access [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear Mr Banner
We refer to your FOI request received on 12 December 2022.
Please find attached a decision on access. Due to the size of the documents referred to in that decision they will be sent separately by email.
If you have any queries in relation to this decision, please contact the FOI Section on the details below.
Robert
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present
Dear Mr Banner
Please see part 3 of 4 attached.
Robert
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present
Dear Mr Banner
Please note documents 7 to 11 were to big for your mailbox. As such I have divided them into two parts. Please see Part 2.1 attached.
Robert
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present
Dear Mr Banner
Please see Part 2.2 attached
Robert
Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section
Legal Advice and Legislation
Legal and Assurance Division | Corporate Operations Group
Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care
T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [email address]
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present