Opposition and Independents turn up the heat on HTA Review delays

Pressure is intensifying on the Federal Government to move from consultation to implementation on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) reforms. With next week’s PharmAus meeting, led by Medicines Australia, the sector is watching closely for signs of an announcement from Federal Health Minister Mark Butler.

Momentum is building across Parliament. Both the Opposition and Independent MPs have called for urgent action, pointing to delays that are leaving patients and clinicians frustrated.

Yesterday, the Opposition escalated its push by moving an amendment to the Government’s Cheaper Medicines Bill. The amendment “notes with concern the Government’s continuing delays in implementing the recommendations of the Health Technology Assessment review” and “condemns the Prime Minister’s failure to secure a meeting with the President of the United States to advance Australia’s interests in relation to possible pharmaceutical tariffs and other issues.”

Speaking to the amendment, Shadow Minister for Women and Shadow Minister for Communications Melissa McIntosh MP was direct in her criticism.

“The Coalition initiated the health technology assessment review, an important opportunity to look at how we can improve timely access to medicines for Australian patients. The findings of that critical review were released last September by the Albanese Labor government. It was already delayed, yet this government has done nothing. We say to the government: the time for the reviews has passed. Patients are waiting and action is overdue,” she stated.

McIntosh reinforced her call, stating, “…we call on the government to do more: to properly resource the PBS listing process, to end the delays, to deliver on the health technology assessment review and to ensure that Australians have timely, affordable access to the medicines they need. We will continue to hold this government to account for its record of delays and failures.”

Independent MPs have also joined the chorus. Dr Monique Ryan MP, Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability and Member for Kooyong, described the current reforms as inadequate.

“While this Bill is a positive move, it is not enough. It is a bandaid on a system which requires comprehensive reform. As a paediatric neurologist…I understand the frustration of patients and clinicians when access to life-changing therapies is delayed or denied because of outdated, opaque and slow approval processes. The waits are simply too long in our system,” she said.

Dr Ryan emphasised that the HTA Review “exposed critical shortcomings in how Australia evaluates and funds new medicines and technologies.”

She noted that while the HTA Review Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) was set up in November 2024 following the release of the review, progress has been negligible.

“Patients are still waiting. Their parents and the people who care for them are still waiting. Clinicians are still waiting. Researchers and industry are still waiting for action on the HTA review. We cannot afford to wait any longer,” she stressed.

While the IAG is working to disentangle the HTA Review recommendations into a workable package for government and key stakeholders that balances early wins with the longer term transformation of the HTA system, the process is complex and lengthy.

Dr Ryan warned that the Cheaper Medicines Bill, though valuable, falls short of addressing the systemic issues underpinning delays.

“It will not address the systemic delays that prevent Australians from accessing new therapies. It will not fix the bottlenecks in the TGA, the PBAC or the MSAC. It will not ensure that our health system is ready to evaluate and fund the next generation of personalised medicines, digital health tools and breakthrough therapies,” Dr Ryan added.

Her message was clear: “I urge the Minister for Health and Ageing to prioritise the full and urgent implementation of the HTA review recommendations.”

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