Increased IV fluid manufacturing a welcome development, and news from the PBS.
We welcomed the announcement this week of a shared $40 million commitment from Baxter and the federal government to expand production of IV fluids in Australia. Baxter and the government made the announcement on Wednesday with a commitment of $20 million from the government and $20 million from Baxter to increase sovereign manufacturing capability for saline IV fluids.
This commitment also follows the creation of a Medicine Supply Action Group which the AMA had been advocating for, which we covered in last week's edition of Rounds .
Members are advised of a number of new and amended PBS listings which took effect on 1 March 2025.
New and amended PBS listings include treatments for :
- Severe Crohn's disease; moderate to severe ulcerative colitis; severe active juvenile idiopathic arthritis; complex refractory fistulising Crohn's disease; severe active rheumatoid arthritis; severe psoriatic arthritis; ankylosing spondylitis; severe chronic plaque psoriasis; moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa; vision threatening non-infectious uveitis
- Precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia {Pre-B-cell ALL)
- Retinal vein occlusion
- Severe psoriatic arthritis
- Endogenous Cushing's syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis
- Non-familial hypercholesterolaemia & familial heterozygous hypercholesterolaemia
- Chronic heart failure
- Contraception
- Menopausal hormone therapy
- Diabetes mellitus type 2
- Migraine
