What happened at the meeting in Canberra?

James
sounds frustrating but typical. At lease you got to give some useful ideas to the PBS person. From my experience the Dept of Health need all the expertise they can get!

From your description it sounds like they were pretty deadpan and unhelpful.

Did they show
– a genuine interest or understanding of the effects of the disease? or
– just focus on the financial impact – from their point of view?

I was going to suggest targeting the minister for social services to raise the productivity implications of not treating, but I see it is that conservative Christian Porter bloke from WA…..

“Let us own and provide “treatment for all” stance.”
I agree Berrinice.I am not super wealthy,but I would not object to a small surcharge on each hep med purchase to help
someone who genuinely cannot afford it,and needs it.If I reach SVR I will certainly be willing to make a gratitude donation to a charity that supports this.
It doesnt matter how you got Hep C,not everyone got it from drug use,there is no heirachy of shame in this.The most costly, dangerous,socially traumatic and PBS money consuming drug in Australia is legal,and the second most treatment costly is also legal.
At least their stance in Canberra from Dr F’s account does not appear to be anti generic.In fact if they are not rubbing their hands in glee
at the growing numbers paying for their own treatment they must be really stupid.
Thanks ,Dr F for giving up your time to wallow in the cesspit of beaurocracy.It must have been a frustrating experience.

“A persuasive individual should be able to get them to fund generics.”

Good luck with that one Berrinice.Will be delighted to hear that someone actually succeeds.

Adding my thanks here for your tireless efforts Dr James, and ‘kicking against the pricks’ as the saying goes.

Seems like all the motions are being gone through at official levels, minus any meaningful conviction to effect change or trying to make a real difference. Your suggestion of following the Kiwi model to get some few meds successfully beaten down in price and approved so at least to get the ball rolling….well the fact that this fell on deaf ears when there are so many in urgent need is a bit of a damning indictment on the system as it exists at the moment. Thanks for going in to bat for common sense and the benefit of a socially maligned population. As you point out berrinice, we are all too easily written off in both the public and politicians minds.