Restricted Perscription Medicine
Dear Department of Health,
To the Hon. Sussan Ley,
Minister of Health MP.
Dear Madam,
I write to you under the Freedom of Information Act 1982. I note that many drugs which are required by people suffering from long-term or chronic pain or illness require the use of morphine based medications, such as Oxycontin and Endone. I further note that these types of drugs are often listed as Controlled Drugs and, as such, tend to be very expensive. My concern is that some people are not in a financial position to afford the ongoing cost of these medications.
Kindly provide your documentation and reports supporting your decision to keep such pain relieving drugs, which in turn, can improve the patient’s quality of life, from being on the PBS, so as to be affordable to those in need.
Yours faithfully,
Rachel Adler
Dear Ms Adler
I refer to your Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Department of Health (ref: 185-1516).
The medicines referred to in your FOI request are listed on the PBS for severe disabling pain where the condition is unresponsive to non-opioid analgesics. Because these drugs are listed on the PBS, there are no such documents/ reports in existence.
The information about the current PBS listings is publicly available and can be found on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme website at http://www.pbs.gov.au/medicine/item/2481...
On the basis of the information provided above, should you wish to continue with your FOI request please advise us by Wednesday 30 March 2016.
Regards
FOI Unit
Ministerial, Parliamentary, Executive Support & Governance Branch | People Capability & Communication
Australian Government Department of Health
E: [Health request email]
Location: WS Scarborough Hse 12.239
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
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