Pfizer calls on government to invest in Australia’s health security

Pharma News: Public health and the vitality of the Australian economy is intimately connected, as highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its 2022-23 Budget Submission, Pfizer Australia calls on the Federal Government to implement four key measures to embed the innovation and collaboration that has resulted from the past two years.

Pfizer’s call for reforms to deliver timely access to novel therapies and vaccines through the modernisation of the National Medicines Policy (NMP) and HTA process, is echoed in Medicines Australia’s 2022-23 Budget Submission and highlighted in the recent parliamentary report The New Frontier: Delivering better health for all Australians.

The importance of vaccines to Australia’s long-term health security requires a larger portion of the health spending on prevention. Australia’s per capita spending on preventative health is lower than half the OECD countries it was compared to. A national approach to vaccination access through community pharmacies will also assist the uptake of various vaccines.

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A recent Australian report on antimicrobial use and resistance in human health highlighted the ongoing public health and safety threat posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the company’s submission, Pfizer urges the government to develop an appropriate reimbursement model for antimicrobials to address the challenging access dynamics and low volumes.

The harmonisation of clinical trials nationwide is also vital if Australia aims to increase investment in this critical area. Pfizer’s submission calls on the government to deliver consistency within and between jurisdictions. This action will decrease complexity of ethics approvals and governance, and increase speed in commencement of clinical trials generating economic growth and health improvements.