Medicines Australia is extremely disappointed with a last-minute decision by Health Minister Sussan Ley to abandon a Strategic Agreement, which casts a shadow over the future stability of the local medicines industry and also puts patient safety at risk.

The purpose of the Agreement was to provide a level of stability and clarity for the local medicines industry in return for supporting a $6.6 billion savings package of which $4.2 billion was to directly impact our members.

Medicines Australia put forward a proposed Strategic Agreement which met all aspects of the Letter of Intent signed by the Health Minister on 27 May 2015.

In the spirit of cooperation, Medicines Australia had also offered to work with the Government on serious patient safety concerns which will allow the substitution of biosimilar medications by pharmacists without appropriate evidence that it’s safe and without the consent of a patient’s GP or clinician.

For more details, go to: https://medicinesaustralia.com.au/media-release/health-minister-abandons-strategic-agreement-with-medicines-australia/