Move to limit drugs to cut PBS budget.

Australian Doctor,  December, 2005  

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by Eleanor Limprecht and Paul Smith

THE Federal Government is examining proposals to limit the range of PBS-funded drugs in an effort to cut up to $850 million a year from the PBS.

The model is based on the New Zealand system, where the government subsidises only one or two drugs in each therapeutic class and manufacturers compete to have their medication subsidised by charging the lowest price.

The fact the government is looking at new ways to cut the PBS budget has alarmed doctors' groups, which say the work is being done behind closed doors with almost no input from the ...

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