refill of liquid on tubes

Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt MP encourages healthcare sector to embrace biosimilar medicines.

2 October 2019

Doctors, pharmacists, medical researchers, and hospital leaders attend ‘Your Patients, Your Government’  Multidisciplinary Forum and Workshop

Sydney, NSW

The Federal Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, opened a high-level forum for the health sector on Wednesday evening, by urging Australia’s health professionals to embrace more innovative ways to support the appropriate uptake of biosimilar medicines.

GBMA Education, the educational arm of the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA), hosted the Your Patients Your Government Multidisciplinary Forum and Workshop at the NSW Parliament on Wednesday evening, October 02.

The unique event brought together specialists, GPs, community and hospital pharmacists, private and public hospitals, patient advocacy groups and Government representatives to explore key topics for biosimilar medicines and their role in supporting the future of sustainable healthcare in Australia.

Minister Hunt delivered the keynote address and his remarks underscore the growing importance of biosimilar medicines to the national healthcare framework.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, welcomed the forum, saying it was a “co-operative endeavour to deliver better health for all Australians.”

“The Government is committed to working closely with the GBMA and the health care sector, to support a robust generic and biosimilar sector for the benefit of all Australians now and into the future,” Minister Hunt said.

Mr Hunt’s call for a deeper understanding of the economic benefits to be gained from this emerging class of medicines led into a series of robust panel discussions with health officials and health professionals on how best to consider biosimilar medicines in our healthcare system to drive uptake, where appropriate for Australian patients.

The opening sessions and keynote address for the Your Patients Your Government forum were also livestreamed nationally to the broader healthcare sector.

GBMA Education Chief Executive Officer, Ms Marnie Peterson, praised Mr Hunt’s commitment to support the biosimilar medicines sector and said education was just one of the tools available to patients, their healthcare professionals, and hospitals to drive uptake of biosimilar medicines.

“We all have an important role to play in ensuring that biosimilar medicines deliver to their full potential, to support the sustainability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme allowing all Australians greater, and more affordable, access to innovative medicines,” Ms Peterson said.

“We are genuinely pleased to be able to work with the Government and so many health professionals and patients to deepen understanding and drive confidence about biosimilar medicines.”

GBMA Education acknowledges the provision of funding by the Australian Government for this event.

–ENDS–

Event Summary

Your Patients, Your Government Multidisciplinary Forum and Workshop for biosimilar medicines:
The three panels covered:

  • Tracking and traceability, and pharmacovigilance
  • Patient centric care and the ‘human factor’
  • Health economics and sustainability of the PBS.

Panellists for the event include:

  • Ms Penny Shakespeare, Department of Health Deputy Secretary for Health Financing
  • Adj. Prof, John Skerritt, Department of Health Deputy Secretary for Health Products Regulation
  • Prof. Stephen Clarke, Medical oncologist at the Northern Cancer Institute and Royal North Shore Hospital, Director of Cancer Services at Northern Sydney Local Health District and Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney
  • A/Prof Simone Strasser, President of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (commencing October 2019)
  • A/Prof Andrew Miller, Immediate Past President of the Australasian College of Dermatologists
  • Dr Mona Marabani, Past President of the Australian Rheumatology Association and Co-Chair of the Biosimilars Working Group
  • Dr Simon Ghaly, Head of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Service and Staff Specialist at St. Vincent’s Hospital and patient representative
  • Dr Harry Nespolon, President Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
  • A/Prof. Michael Ward, Discipline Leader: Pharmacy Education, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia
  • David Ford, Executive Director Pharmacy and Redevelopment, North East Health.

 

Further information

For further information on biosimilar medicines and Grant activities, please visit www.biosimilarhub.com.au or contact the GBMA Education team via email: admin@gbmaeducation.com.au

 

Media enquiries

Please contact Cube Public Relations in the first instance via: GBMAmediaenquiries@cube.com.au or M: 0402 994 120 (Kelly Smith) / 0417 421 560 (Anne-Marie Sparrow).

–ENDS–

More Articles

Thank you for visiting our website

The information a reader is about to be referred to may not comply with the Australian regulatory requirements.

Further information relevant to the Australian environment is available from the Australian Government, Department of Health.

Please click “Continue” to leave this website and proceed to the selected site.