15 June 2016 - The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is an integral part of the Australian health system. It theoretically provides affordable and equal access to medicines for all Australians and stands as a beacon of our country's proud history of the "fair go" for all.

None of us would want to see a situation such as that in the US where patients are unable to access lifesaving or life extending medicines simply because they cost too much. So is the PBS still working as we hoped?

In recent weeks we've seen a 36-year-old patient, Danielle Tindle, on the ABC's Australian Story desperately trying to fund $5000 every three weeks to access the only treatment that might be effective in treating her neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Similarly, on Sunrise we recently saw a whole community in Cherrybrook rally behind Tracey Trumper, who faces a potential bill of $7000 per month to access treatment for her non-small cell lung cancer.

For more details, go to: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/why-cancer-can-cost-more-the-rarer-it-is-20160614-gpj1gd.html