The 'Dispatched' Podcast

The health department calls them 'holdover' submissions, but they're deferrals. Its strange language does not change the fact that this situation, decided without consultation, could have negative and long-lasting consequences for the world's second-oldest public health program and, more importantly, patients.

A special edition focused on the disappointing and unacceptable outcome on the proposed simplified and faster process for immunotherapies. The institution has revealed a disturbing attitude to patients shrouded in an ability to deliver change.

After a short break, we are back, and there is a lot to discuss. Recommendations to fund unapproved and unapprovable therapeutic interventions, continued disappointment on newborn screening, and a proposed misinformation law that is significantly based on misinformation and an assumption that the government knows best.

A significant structural change in the PBS, which the Government attempted to blunt with 60-day dispensed quantities, is arguably the main growth driver in spending on the program. We discuss the change, which along with others, represents a major reversal in a decades-long approach to medicines access.

The two-sided coin that is the access debate. The competing narratives that might be confusing Health Minister Mark Butler. Governance is an arcane issue, but it matters, and a different approach could mean a better approach to decision-making and improved outcomes.

It has been a week of red flags on the HTA Review, with the occasional green shoot. We investigate each and discuss how unconscious bias impacts decision-making. The way forward as the process progresses to an implementation phase requires some thought, a different approach and a willingness on behalf of stakeholders to do something that makes them very uncomfortable.

No guessing the focus of this week's discussion, but we have worked to focus on a way forward to manage the many challenges presented by the HTA Review, including the importance of injecting some caution in the public response and understanding that the 'celebratory' tone is a very bad way to start a negotiation.

The health debate is increasingly shifting ahead of the election, mainly to challenging issues, including the fierce debate impacting the private health sector. What does it mean for stakeholders wanting attention in other areas? A welcome decision to widen access to a vaccine, but the postcode lottery remains a reality for patients, including babies.

The Albanese Government used moral suasion to resolve the IV fluid shortage caused by other jurisdictions' poor procurement practices. Health Minister Mark Butler used cautious language on the HTA Review. It was what you would expect, but what does it mean in practice?

Australia is not getting a Senate inquiry on the pandemic. The Albanese Government is amending PBS pricing legislation after the Federal Court confirmed that the interpretation of 'agreements' is meaningless compared to the law. The weekly existence of a health minister reveals the practical challenge of achieving reform.