Consumer Health Forum and Patient Voice Initiative join Medicines Australia in voicing priorities for NMP Review restart

Pharma News: Medicines Australia welcomes the restart of the National Medicines Policy (NMP) Review, which was put on hold prior to the recent Federal Election following calls from stakeholders who sought improved consultation.

Medicines Australia CEO, Elizabeth de Somer, said the restart of the Review showed the Government’s commitment for Australians to have equitable and affordable access to medicines.

“The National Medicines Policy affects all Australians, and this is the first time it has been reviewed in 20 years – so we have to get it right. The modernised NMP should ensure Australia’s policy direction meets the needs of today’s modern medicines and is set up to support the arrival of the latest innovative medicines, vaccines, and treatments for Australian patients,” Ms de Somer said.

Jessica Bean, Chair, Patient Voice Initiative, told Health Industry Hub “In March 2022, the Patient Voice Initiative was one of 17 patient and consumer organisations that asked the former Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, to defer the Review. We had concerns that it was being rushed and lacked the dialogue and collaboration that we would expect in the revision of a document aimed at setting out a partnership approach to ensuring the timely and equitable access to affordable medicines in Australia. We lacked confidence in the process because we felt reduced to input or a source of data to be analysed by data software, rather than a partner and a community that the committee wanted to get to learn from and work with.

“As a result, we could not be sure that the words in the draft policy meant the same thing to all of us. Without a clear path to governance, implementation and evaluation, there was fear that the policy could be empty words,” Ms Bean added.

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Consumers Health Forum Chair, Tony Lawson, told Health Industry Hub “The Australian consumer is the beneficiary of this policy. This is who the policy and the committee that oversees it are accountable to. This should be made explicitly stated.

“The draft Policy continues to use a relatively narrow definition of a medicines, which does little to promote greater integration of new innovations and failed to grasp the opportunity to extend its scope to many of the emerging technologies. We need more than a refresh, we need a new policy that addresses the reality of the changes that have occurred in the nature and use of medicines.”

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Mr Lawson added “CHF believes that timeliness should be an “overarching aspect” of a national medicines policy and is necessary in every element and process of the medicines environment. This is particularly true for people with life threatening illnesses or where timely access improves quality of life or impacts on the progression of disease. When it comes to access, there must also be explicit mention of rural and remote consumers for whom the tyranny of distance remains a fundamental stumbling block in the delivery of equitable healthcare.

“There needs to be more detail on how the Policy would be implemented. The draft policy does not specify how the Commonwealth Government, as the driving force, and state governments will work together to make this policy a success.

“There should be accountability measures built in to the Policy, with annual reviews led by the committee. This could include reviews triggered by external events or new innovations. The Policy should also reflect the understanding that providers and clinicians are responsible for ensuring information to consumers is clearly communicated and understood,” he said.

Ms de Somer commented “The NMP Review is the start of a larger reform agenda – including the imminent Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review – that is focused on speeding up access to world-class medicines when people need them. The NMP should set the vision for how all Australians, across many diverse communities, access and use lifesaving and life-changing medicines. The Review of the NMP must consult widely and deeply to ensure the needs of these different communities are met.

“In welcoming the restart, Medicines Australia maintains the view that six weeks may not be enough for further meaningful consultation with all stakeholders. We also note that the NMP Expert Advisory Committee has not been re-convened to support the Review Chair, Professor Michael Kidd AM,” Ms de Somer said.

The consultation survey on the new draft NMP is open until 27 September 2022 and will be accompanied by a public forum and targeted consultations with key stakeholder groups. A final report is expected to go to Minister Butler before the end of the year.

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