Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7087

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Publication type: news

Davis M, Peatling S.
Bone drug subsidies extended
The Sydney Morning Herald 2006 Dec 18
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bone-drug-subsidies-extended/2006/12/17/1166290412444.html

Abstract:

OLDER people suffering from the brittle bone disease osteoporosis will have improved access to medical tests and subsidised drugs such as Fosamax and Alendro, the Prime Minister will announce today.

John Howard will outline measures estimated to cost $225 million in his weekly radio message.

Meanwhile the Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd, promised to consider ways to pay the 30 per cent child-care rebate more quickly, as he continued his tour of the country yesterday.

The rebate forced families to “accumulate 18 months’ worth of receipts on a fridge magnet before they can get some cash,” Mr Rudd said. “That’s a system designed to fail.”

Mr Howard’s radio message says the Government will extend the listing of the osteoporosis medicines Fosamax and Alendro on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from April next year.

The Government will also extend Medicare so that it pays for bone-mineral density tests for people aged 70 and older with osteoporosis.

The tests are used to assess the risk people with the disease have of suffering fractures.

Medical experts and the patient advocacy group Osteoporosis Australia have been pushing for Medicare to fund bone density tests for over-70s for the past two years.

Fosamax and Alendro are the brand names of a drug which increases bone mass in patients suffering from osteoporosis, a disease which causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them weaker, more brittle and more likely to break.

They are partially listed on the scheme, but only osteoporosis patients who have experienced a fracture have access to government subsidies for the drug.

Mr Howard says the extended listing will mean the medicines will be available subsidised to people aged 70 and above who are identified as having a high risk of bone fractures.

The Government estimates the measure will provide subsidised access to Fosamax and Alendro for an extra 40,000 people, with the figure likely to grow to an extra 73,000 patients by 2010.

Mr Howard says nearly 2 million Australians have osteoporosis. The disease severely inhibits the quality of life of many of them through fractures and persistent pain.

“Today’s announcement is another way in which we are helping older Australians manage chronic diseases and lead a more comfortable life,”
he says.

In Perth, Mr Rudd also promised to make Australia the country with the best standards in education. This would include improving income support for students so they were not forced to do two or even three part-time jobs while studying.

“The rest of the world is investing more in education, skills and training, but public investment by the Howard Government is instead going backwards,” Mr Rudd said.

Keywords:
sub-groups health-care