New PBS medicines announced

26th Oct 2012

A number of new medicines have been added to the PBS. The majority of these additions will come into effect on 1 December 2012. The new medicines include:

Aflibercept (Eylea®) – for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration
Aprepitant (Emend®) - for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer
Atenolol (Atenolol-AFT®) - for the treatment of high blood pressure
Ezetimibe with simvastatin (Vytorin®) - for the treatment of high cholesterol
Mycophenolate sodium (Myfortic®) – for the treatment of kidney inflammation caused by lupus
Naloxone hydrochloride (Naloxone Min-I-Jet®) - for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose
Paraffin compound eye ointment (VitA-POS®) - for the treatment of severe dry eye syndrome
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) - for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots)
Sodium hyaluronate (Hylo®–Fresh) (Hylo®–Forte) - for the treatment of severe dry eye syndrome
Temozolomide (Temodal®) - for the treatment of certain types of malignant brain cancer.

Some medicines will also increase in price, in order to keep as many medicines as possible on the PBS list. To see a full list of new medicines, and to get a full list of PBS medicine prices, visit the PBS website.

Alida Talbot
26th Oct 2012
4:47pm

as an asthmatic I have been taking Singulair for over 12 years but still have to pay $80 every for weeks this is a drain on my finances @ 68 I feel I should be entitled to some respite

Nan Norma
20th Nov 2012
6:19pm

Is that correct, $80 a week? Not a month?

Stuie52
27th Oct 2012
11:41pm

Nurontin "Gabapentin" Is a drug developed for the treatment of Epilepsy and is on the PBS for this indication but it is also used for neropathic pain as a result of Diabetes, does anyone know if and or when this medication will be allowed on the PBS for the latter I have used it with my pain and ikt works great for this type of pain management but the cost is prohibitive for one on a disability pension it is just too expensive cheers Stuart Leamer

Pip
31st Oct 2012
2:09pm

This is, I'm sure, good news for many but for me you win some, you lose some; I renewed my Micardis medication and guess what? The price has gone up $2! I know, it's only $2 but I still wonder why, when it's a medication my GP says I HAVE to take!

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Tags: Seniors health, PBS, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, prescription, medicine, medication, drugs, low cost