A question on the PBS co-pay – a Dr on another site says the co-pay is $37/$6 per MONTH not per script. All the announcements i can find suggest the co-pay is per script, can anyone confirm what the co-pay will be for 12 weeks of Harvoni? If it is 3X 37, there has been woeful communication on such an important issue.

Hi Chapel,

Based on the prices that Dr James quoted above (28 pills) and how most PBS scripts work I would think that 3 x $37 for a 12 week treatment is correct. That is the standard process in Australia. As an example my GP writes me a script for 6 months worth of BP tablets at a time but that consists of one original plus 5 repeats so I have to pay each time. There is a safety net $ cutoff (currently about $1450 pa) and if you exceed that any extra scripts are free. Concessional prices are about $6 with cutoff of $366.

Edit: flyingfox’s figures are correct, the prices went up a few cents on 1st Jan.

“Gregg Alton has what seems like a disorienting job at Gilead Sciences Inc. He’s paid to figure out how to sell the drug Sovaldi, which infamously retails in the U.S. at $1,000 a pill, for relatively next to nothing.”

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/his-job-is-to-sell-1000-pill-for-10.html

Thinking about these comments it occurs to me that it is highly unlikely that Gilead would give one first world country a significantly better price than the others; a few thousand here and there can be justified based on volume, competition, etc. but not tens of thousands. Hmmm, but what about rebates for certain volumes achieved or an annual safety net for volume or price? Isnt this is a common commercial practice in other fields where a supplier wants to achieve some particular aim without upsetting their other customers or general market conditions?

…..back to watching with interest.

I certainly will keep you all posted Ariel
I did see a specialist in December, and I have to say if anyone needs one in Brisbane, I’d certainly recommend him…just message me, as I feel a bit uncomfortable about giving his name openly, especially as he was totally cool with monitoring generics for me.
When all this broke I found myself a great GP (likewise, happy to recommend) who has done the course on the meds. She has since been in communication with my specialist so I intend seeing her tomorrow for script.
After that I might wander up to the hospital pharmacy and see if they have any stock..if not it might take my regular pharmacy a day or two to get the meds.
I am so freaking excited!!
Not just for me but for everybody who is suffering.

It does seem that there is a quota deal happening, in that after the first 6000 patients, the rest of the years treatments are free.
Hopefully we can knock that right out of the ballpark!

I also have friend who is cirrhotic and I am hoping she can get her GP to do likewise, because her treating Liver Clinic is swamped. Either way, I am sure they will treat her within a month.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/hepatitis-c-cures-now-as-cheap-as-620-20160229-gn6zyk.html

That’s fantastic news, FF.

I really want to believe they’re going to do this right. And having worked in the upper echelons of the PS, sometimes they do if they’ve got good public servants advising them who aren’t too politicised.

Anyway, great to be able to say I’m delighted for you that you’ll be starting Tx soon and all the best with it.

Thanks Chester… I was bouncing down the street with a ridiculous smile after my appointment. People must have thought I was crazy
My GP, who is very “switched on” corroborated the capping news. That is that beyond a certain amount (probably 6000 per year) the treatments will be free. So we can only hope everyone who wants to will get treated.