The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) is an expert committee which meets three times per year to consider applications to subsidise the cost of medications used by the community through inclusion in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). It makes recommendations on all applications for listing to the Federal Government. The PBAC is required to take into account the clinical effectiveness, safety and the cost effectiveness (value for money) of the medication concerned compared to other available therapies.

Following recent changes to procedures, the PBAC is now required (and prepared) to consider comments from consumers. As the consumer voice for people living with persistent pain, APMA is committed to providing a viewpoint on behalf of consumers in relation to each application which relates to pain medication. . The approach which APMA adopts in preparing its submission on each pain-related medication being considered by the PBAC at a meeting is as follows:

The preparation of each submission will begin with the premise that

1. in light of the prevalence and chronicity of persistent pain, the availability of the widest possible range of effective medications at the cheapest price is in the best interest of effective pain management and people with persistent pain; and
2. discrepancies in medication options between consumers arising from ability to pay, and/or differences in access to health funding (through, for example, private health insurance; access to the Repatriation PBS or via workers' or accident compensation schemes) rather than clinical need, is ethically indefensible.

Prior to finalising each submission, APMA will

1. email APMA members advising them of their ability to make submissions on matters listed for discussion;
2. email APMA members seeking brief advice and information about past or present use, or inability to access, or any other issue a member may wish to raise about a medication, in order to inform the APMA submission (which shall not include any identifying personal information); and
3. email APMA Clinical Advisory Committee (CAC) members to seek any input or comments CAC members might have, having regard to the above general premises and the expectation that APMA (and the PBAC) expect that in the main relevant detailed and economic data regarding each medication will usually have been provided by the sponsor of the product.

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of November 2010 were:
TARGIN.

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of March 2011 were: FENTANYL, PREGABALIN (Lryica) and TAPENTADOL HYDROCHLORIDE (Palexia SR).

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of July 2011 were: FENTANYL lozenges).

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of November 2011 were: – nil relating to persistent pain.

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of March 2012 were: NAPROXEN (Vimovo), PREGABALIN (Lryica) and TAPENTADOL (Palexia SR).

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of July 2012 were: BOTULINUM TOXIN TYPE A PURIFIED (Botox – for chronic migraine) and TAPENTADOL (Palexia SR).

Medications listed for discussion at the PBAC meeting of November 2012 were: MILNACIPRAN (Jonica – for fibromyalgia), NAPROXEN (Vimova) and TAPENTADOL (Palexia SR).

APMA declares that it has received the following sponsorships or benefits from pharmaceutical companies:

2009

nil

2010

Less than $7,000 from Pfizer as an unencumbered grant to produce our quarterly newsletter Wellbeing

Worked with Mundipharma to widely distribute copies of an educational DVD Chronic Pain health management to consumers

2011

Less than $8,000 from Pfizer as an unencumbered grant to produce our quarterly newsletter Wellbeing

Less than $10,000 from Janssen-Cilag as an unencumbered grant for an exhibitor booth at the 2011 APS Scientific Meeting & the costs associated with staffing the booth

Less than $2,000 from CSL Biotherapies/Grunenthal as an unencumbered grant to conduct persistent pain self-management educational seminars in June 2011

2012

Less than $12,000 from Pfizer as an unencumbered grant to produce our quarterly newsletter Wellbeing

$7,000 from Pfizer as an unencumbered grant to produce an information brochure for GP distribution to patients with persistent pain entitled 'Working with Your GP'

$700 from Pfizer as an unencumbered grant to undertake an educational meeting to further develop and extend the Pain Link telephone help line service

Less than $5,000 from Mundipharma as an unencumbered grant for an exhibitor booth at the 2012 APS Scientific Meeting in Melbourne & a portion of the costs associated with staffing the booth

$2,000 from Janssen-Cilag as an unencumbered grant to assist with the costs associated with volunteers attending the APS ASM in Melbourne and staffing the booth sponsored by Mundipharma.

$5,000 from Mundipharma as an unencumbered grant for an exhibitor booth and assistance to attend the 2012 IASP World Congress on Pain in Milan

Almost $14,000 from Mundipharma in a commercial transaction relating to the sale of textbooks for use by Mundiphrama as part of an educational program for general practitioners

2013

$10,000 from Pfizer as an unencumbered grant to produce our quarterly newsletter Wellbeing

$5,240 from Mundipharma as an unencumbered grant for an exhibitor booth at the 2013 APS Scientific Meeting in Canberra & associated costs

$2,000 from bioCSL as an unencumbered grant to assist with the costs associated with volunteers attending the APS ASM in Canberra and staffing the booth sponsored by Mundipharma.