Palliative Care Australia has welcomed the changes made by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), which will optimise appropriate access to analgesic opioid medications for palliative care patients.

These changes, effective 1 October 2020, will help avoid an unnecessary burden to palliative care health practitioners and reduce disruptions in the pain management for suffering palliative care patients.

PCA Chair, Professor Meera Agar says the positive recommendations and collaborative advocacy led by Palliative Care Australia with the Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP), the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM) and Australian Medical Association (AMA) have been instrumental in obtaining these essential adjustments to the PBS.

“Our efforts came in response to the unintended consequences of opioid schedule changes for people with palliative care needs, which had been identified by the palliative care sector and consumers, Professor Agar said.

Read the full media release: Changes to PBS for palliative care opioids restrictions a major relief

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Revised opioids PBS listings from 1 October 2020