23 September 2015 - Australia has a world-class Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

It is supported by world-class drug approval systems that balance fast access to the latest drugs for patients with strict public safety protections that are based on clinical evidence, not just the claims of drug companies. I make no apologies for this.

Our approval systems also include safeguards to ensure taxpayers are not overpaying for drugs that do not deliver on what they promise patients.

This has allowed our Government to deliver on our promise to list new drugs quickly, with 798 new and amended listings added to the PBS since we came to office in 2013. This is the more than double the 331 new and amended drug listings delivered in Labor’s final term in half the time.

Unfortunately Australia is disadvantaged because drug companies often delay bringing new medicines down under – sometimes by up to 15 months – in favour of making applications in more-lucrative markets such as the US and Europe first.

For more details, go to: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2015-ley115.htm