The announcement by the Abbott Government today that it has confirmed a new threshold for Cabinet approval of new medicines being listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is a welcome development.  Since 2001, medicines that were expected to cost more than $10 million in any one of the four years of the forward estimates were required to be approved by Federal Cabinet before they could be listed on the PBS.The Government has announced that from today this threshold has increased to $20 million.  This means that medicines expected to cost less than $20 million in any of the four years of the forward estimates will not require Cabinet approval. Instead, they will be listed promptly by the Health Minister.
For more details, go to: http://medicinesaustralia.com.au/2013/10/30/government-congratulated-on-new-cabinet-threshold/