14 October 2015 - At a special meeting in April 2015, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended removing (de-listing) some OTC medicines from the PBS and provided the principles for the proposed process.

Importantly, the PBAC noted that OTC medicines used for emergency situations (e.g. adrenalin, glucagon, GTN, salbutamol) should remain listed on the PBS, as well as listings on the Palliative Care Schedule, NRT, nutritional products and some other items.

As the PBAC has been working with the sponsors of medicines likely to be impacted, a list of items being de-listed has not yet been published. In its advice to the Guild this week, the PBAC has indicated it expects a list to be available in late October or early November.

For more details, go to: http://www.guild.org.au/news-page/2015/10/14/pbs-de-listing-of-otc-medicines