The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is proud to have led a successful submission to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) for an expansion to the listing of Prednefrin Forte on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). This item can now be prescribed on the PBS for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients as of 1 March 2020.
As of 31 January 2022, Closing the Gap (CTG) PBS scripts will not be available for people who aren’t registered correctly with Services Australia.
There are recent changes to the Closing the Gap (CTG) program which aim to make it easier for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access medicines. Patients from any geographical location only need ...
1. Australian Government COVID-19 and Medicines Update – new and updated measures announced
There have been new announcements related to COVID-19 and medicines from the Australian Government.Â
The measures include:
Continued dispensing arrangeme...
Recent research published in Health Affairs, a leading international journal on health policy, thought and research,has shown how the Closing the Gap (CTG) prescription measure is significantly improving medicines access by addressing cost barriers. This CTG prescription measure could have a significant impact on improving health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples related to chronic disease.
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From 1 July 2021, there will be enhancements to the Closing the Gap (CTG) Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Co-payment Program.
Please find below resources targeted at the following stakeholder groups:
Regulations for opioid pain medicines have recently changed to help improve safety. These changes include new pack sizes and PBS restrictions that affect how they are prescribed. There are also new resources for patients and health professionals to promote safe use. Some of these resources can be found in the links below:
The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding focusing on the implementation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacy programs and trials.
NACCHO and the Guild said the MoU is built on the welcome initiatives already announced by the Government under the Sixth Community Pharmacy Agreement’s Pharmacy Trial Program (Tranche 1 and 2 projects), including improved medicati...
An endorsed media article from NACCHO by Professor Ian Ring AO - 12 February 2018
Ten years on from the start of Closing the Gap, progress is mixed, limited and disappointing, the life expectancy gap is widening and while money isn’t the only factor, money myths are playing an important role. The recent Productivity Commission Report found that per capita government spending on Aboriginal services was twice as high as for the rest of the population. The vie...
The Seventh Community Pharmacy Agreement (7CPA) between the Australian Government, the Pharmacy Guild and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)  aims to support consumer access to medicines and related services through community pharmacies across Australia.
*NACCHO, acknowledges the Traditional Owners of this land which continues to be under their ongoing custodianship. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
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