[Pharm-policy] suspension of Australian PBS-PBAC website - website incorrect in previous posting
Melissa Raven
melissa.raven@flinders.edu.au
Wed Jul 11 21:02:01 2001
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Dr Ken Harvey is a member of Health Action International, a Council =
Member of the Australian Consumer's Association, a Board Member of =
Therapeutic Guidelines Limited, and a Senior Lecturer in the School of =
Public Health at La Trobe University in Melbourne. He has worked hard, =
both in Australia and internationally, to improve medicinal drug policy, =
quality use of medicines and equity of access to essential drugs.
Since early this year, Ken and three colleagues have been moderating a =
University website (http://www-sph.health.latrobe.edu.au/pbac/) about =
the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and the =
Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which advises the =
Federal Minister for Health which drugs should be listed on the PBS. The =
website arose in response to recent controversies about the PBAC, =
particularly the removal of members perceived as antagonistic to =
industry and the appointment of a former industry lobbyist. More =
generally, there are concerns about the perceived industry influence on =
the PBAC, escalating costs of the PBS, and whether equity of access to =
necessary drugs can be preserved.
On 29 June, Ken and his colleagues found that the PBS-PBAC website had =
been suspended by the University without prior consultation. In =
addition, a letter was awaiting Ken, notifying him that the University =
had instigated disciplinary procedures against him. The matter is now =
under industrial negotiation and in the press:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/state/2001/07/10/FFX2VKO4XOC.html
http://australianit.news.com.au/common/storyPage/0,3811,2304103%255E442,0=
0.html.=20
The PBS-PBAC website has now been moved to a non-University website:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/pbs-pbac/
This website is an important resource. Its suspension without =
consultation and the disciplinary action against Ken are matters of =
serious concern. Some international solidarity would be appreciated. =
Please see the website for further information.
Melissa
Melissa Raven, Lecturer
Coordinator, Drugs & Public Health (previously Addiction Studies)
Department of Public Health, Flinders University
G5 Flats, Flinders Medical Centre
BEDFORD PARK SA 5042, AUSTRALIA
Phone (08) 8204 5714 Fax (08) 8204 5693 International 61 8
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Dr Ken Harvey is a member of Health Action =
International, a=20
Council Member of the Australian Consumer's Association, a Board Member =
of=20
Therapeutic Guidelines Limited, and a Senior Lecturer in the School of =
Public=20
Health at La Trobe University in Melbourne. He has worked hard, both in=20
Australia and internationally, to improve medicinal drug policy, quality =
use of=20
medicines and equity of access to essential drugs.</FONT></DIV><FONT =
size=3D2>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>Since early this year, Ken and three colleagues =
have been=20
moderating a University website (<A=20
href=3D"http://www-sph.health.latrobe.edu.au/pbac/)">http://www-sph.healt=
h.latrobe.edu.au/pbac/)</A>=20
about the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and the=20
Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), which advises the =
Federal=20
Minister for Health which drugs should be listed on the PBS. The website =
arose=20
in response to recent controversies about the PBAC, particularly the =
removal of=20
members perceived as antagonistic to industry and the appointment of a =
former=20
industry lobbyist. More generally, there are concerns about the =
perceived=20
industry influence on the PBAC, escalating costs of the PBS, and whether =
equity=20
of access to necessary drugs can be preserved.</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>On 29 June, Ken and his colleagues found that the =
PBS-PBAC=20
website had been suspended by the University without prior consultation. =
In=20
addition, a letter was awaiting Ken, notifying him that the University =
had=20
instigated disciplinary procedures against him. The matter is now under=20
industrial negotiation and in the press:<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.theage.com.au/news/state/2001/07/10/FFX2VKO4XOC.html">=
http://www.theage.com.au/news/state/2001/07/10/FFX2VKO4XOC.html</A><BR><A=
=20
href=3D"http://australianit.news.com.au/common/storyPage/0,3811,2304103^4=
42,00.h">http://australianit.news.com.au/common/storyPage/0,3811,2304103%=
255E442,00.h</A>tml.=20
</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>The PBS-PBAC website has now been moved to a =
non-University=20
website:<BR><SPAN class=3D082514400-12072001><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://users.bigpond.net.au/pbs-pbac/">http://users.bigpond.net.a=
u/pbs-pbac/</A></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal>This website is an important resource. Its =
suspension without=20
consultation and the disciplinary action against Ken are matters of =
serious=20
concern. Some international solidarity would be appreciated. Please see =
the=20
website for further information.</P>
<DIV>Melissa</DIV>
<DIV></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Melissa Raven, Lecturer<BR>Coordinator, Drugs & =
Public=20
Health (previously Addiction Studies)<BR>Department of Public Health, =
Flinders=20
University<BR>G5 Flats, Flinders Medical Centre<BR>BEDFORD PARK =
SA =20
5042, AUSTRALIA<BR>Phone (08) 8204 5714 Fax (08) =
8204=20
5693 International 61 =
8</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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