For the first time in three decades, women living with endometriosis will now have access to a new treatment on the PBS.
Dienogest (Visanne) will be listed for the first time to treat endometriosis.
Visanne, a daily tablet, works to shrink and suppress the growth of abnormal tissue.
Roughly one in seven Australian women suffer from endometriosis.
Endometriosis can cause crippling pain and may be associated with infertility.
There is no cure for endometriosis, and it can last for decades. Affordable access to treatment options to help control symptoms is extremely important to women's quality of life.
Endometriosis results in more than 40,000 hospital admissions each year, and leaves hundreds of thousands of women regularly in pain.
Without subsidy, patients might pay around $750 per year for treatment.
The Albanese Government has now invested over $107 million to support women with endometriosis, creating a national suite of initiatives for integrated endometriosis care, intervention, and treatment, including:
- 22 specialised Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics around the country. These Clinics are operating now and provide multidisciplinary integrated care, referral services, access to early intervention and a range of treatment options for women.
- Developing an Endometriosis Management Plan for individualised and tailored treatment for women.
- Support for endometriosis research.
- Investing in grants to improve awareness of endometriosis in the community.
- Developing Endometriosis Living Guidelines so that healthcare professionals can be led by best practice evidence-based information.
- Two new items will be added to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) enabling extended consultation times and increased rebates for specialist gynaecological care.
- Reviewing the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) items used to support the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.
- In addition to the specialised Endometriosis package, our Government introduced a new extended 60 minute MBS item for GPs. This longer consult gives GPs more time to better help women endometriosis or other chronic conditions with complex histories and symptoms.
Since July 2022, the Australian Government has approved extra funding for 277 new and amended listings, recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, on the PBS.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"For too long, women living with endometriosis have had to struggle in silence.
"Women are suffering unnecessarily. They're having their experiences dismissed, being called hysterical and accused of drug shopping. Women's pain is real and it's time we stop telling women to just suck it up.
"Our Government's listing of Visanne on the PBS will be a game changer for women living with endo.
"Making this medicine cheaper for women is going to be transformative."
