21 August 2015 -  Medicines Australia notes with concern the recommendation by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) that pharmacists be allowed to substitute biosimilars in place of biologic medicines prescribed by a patient’s doctor.

The so-called “a-flagging” means that pharmacists can make this substitution without the knowledge or consent of the patient’s specialist doctor, GP or even the patient.

This decision by the PBAC announced today, goes against all the advice they have received from international and local experts that there is an absence of an agreed evidence base to support the safety and efficacy of repeated, or multiple, switching between a biologic and one or more biosimilar medicines.

For more details, go to: https://medicinesaustralia.com.au/media-release/pbac-decision-to-approve-biosimilars-for-pharmacy-substitution-is-a-safety-concern-for-patients/