Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 1:04:43 to 1:09:26
Senator Ruston discusses the process for approving specialist discretion pathways for first-line biologics therapy for children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and the timeliness of PBAC assessments.
Topics: Health
Speakers: Senator Anne Ruston, Senator Nita Green, Unknown Speaker, Senator Ellie Whiteaker
>> Thank you. Then we will go to Senator Ruston.
>> Thank you. Um just before I get back on PHI, I was just um um following up on some questions that Senator PCO was asking in in relation to um uh the IBD So, I I was just um wondering just following on and um from Senator Pop's I suppose maybe it's more to the has the government asked payback to consider consider specialist discretion pathways for firstline biologics therapy and IBD for children?
>> Um Senator, I have to take on notice if there hasn't been any correspondence from the minister. Um I think the um uh um Professor Watson um can take you through all the steps that Peback has been taking. I will say I didn't get obviously a chance to say this when Senator PCO was um addressing these questions. Um but I think I think the government recognizes that um you know if doesn't matter if your child is sick in any way [clears throat] you would expect um and want um the the best available treatments um uh uh that are possible and so I think that everyone who is working on this recognizes the importance of ensuring that that work is done in a timely way um and um and that's why um feedback has been undertaking that work
>> and and I I don't think there'd been anybody who's got a family that wouldn't agree with you, Senator Green. But I mean, we have heard so much um at the last estimates and again at this estimates about the process. >> We're not talking about process here. We're talking about people and we're talking about children. And so I suppose my question is, you know, do we reasonably think that the approval application and the process that is sitting around um a determination as to whether a child with a condition that untreated continues to cause ongoing damage to that child. is the system um responding to the needs of that child? um and focusing on the best interest of the child because we do seem to have spent a lot of time talking about process and not too much time talking about the potential um physical and emotional impact an untreated child with IBD particularly severe cases of IBD um or Crohn's disease. So I I maybe it is to you minister on the basis of your previous comment. I mean do you think that the process has been shown to be driving in the best interests of these children because we've talked about this for some time
>> I understand that Minister um Senator and I think you know of course I think Australians want faster access to um cutting edge medicines and affordable medicines. I think that the the um uh the treatment and well-being of patients is quite central to the work that Pabback does and they if if you're interested in the answer can explain to you those considerations um which are part of the the um the work that they are doing but of course the interests of patients particularly um the um children that are involved is um is is paramount as as part of those
you entirely that Australians are looking for faster access and perhaps that's why we're all looking for a response to the HDA review uh which seems to be continually kicked into the long grasp. But look, thank you very much that I'm sorry I got you up for such a short session questions. I was just very keen to understand that.