‘Practice-changing moment’ as new PBS prescribing criteria for heart failure unveiled at CSANZ

Pharma News: Nurse practitioners can now prescribe SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the treatment of chronic heart failure under a shared-care model with doctors.

From 1 August, Australia’s 2,250 nurse practitioners will be able to prescribe Jardiance (empagliflozin 10mg) as initial or continuing therapy for eligible adults with symptomatic heart failure regardless of ejection fraction as an adjunct to standard of care therapy.

Speaking ahead of a Nurse Practitioner event at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) on 1 August, Professor Andrew Sindone, cardiologist and heart failure expert from Sydney, welcomed the change in nurse practitioner prescribing for reimbursed access to SGLT-2 inhibitor therapy for chronic heart failure.

“Chronic heart failure has reached epidemic proportions, with around 480,000 Australians living with the disease and more than 60,000 new diagnoses every year. The incidence and impact of chronic heart failure requires all parts of the healthcare system to work in sync, including nurse practitioners with expertise in complex disease management,” Professor Sindone stated.

“Focus must be on the person at the centre of care and looking to the evidence to help guide decisions rather than allowing other agendas to control the health system. It is essential to realise the full value of every health profession in helping to deliver the right care, at the right time and in the right place,” the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation said in response to the Scope of Practice Review.

The change in nurse practitioner prescribing applies to the Jardiance heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) PBS listings, as well as the 60-day dispensing PBS listing for HFrEF patients.

Speaking on behalf of the Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly Alliance, Dirk Otto, General Manager, Boehringer Ingelheim Australia and New Zealand described the updated PBS listing as “a practice-changing moment”.

“This is a win for heart failure patients, nurse practitioners and the broader health system,” he said.

“It is consistent with guideline-recommended multidisciplinary heart failure management programs in which nurse practitioners are a key player.”

The Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) also welcomed the update to nurse practitioner prescribing criteria. ACNP CEO Leanne Boase said, “Nurse practitioners are experts in complex disease management and ideally placed to initiate and oversee heart failure treatment”.

“ACNP is actively supporting the removal of financial restrictions on medicines, allowing optimisation of nurse practitioner scope of practice within prescribing legislation, and equitable access to medicines. We hope to see these medicines become even more accessible for patients in the future,” she said.

Otto highlighted the opportunity to “harness the expertise of nurse practitioners to enhance health system efficiencies and improve treatment access for eligible heart failure patients.”

“This change will allow nurse practitioners to prescribe Jardiance as initial or continuing therapy to help ensure quality and safety in medication management, benefiting heart failure patients and the Australian healthcare system.”

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