PBS Post-market Review into Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Medicines

PBS Post-market Review into Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Medicines

The Department of Health routinely undertakes systematic formal reviews to monitor the use of medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The purpose of the Post-market Review of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) medicines was to review the utilisation, safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of PBS-listed medicines used for patients with COPD, and to address quality use of medicines concerns associated with the apparent use of multiple products. HealthConsult was engaged to undertake the post-market review.

The project involved the development of a research protocol; a rigorous systematic literature review; the specification of an extract for, and analysis of, patient-level PBS data to determine trends in utilisation, the extent of co-prescribing, and concordance with PBS restrictions and current clinical guidance; analysis of the MedicineInsight data to provide understanding of the link between prescribing indication and medicine; and the preparation of a high-quality technical report. The findings of the review were presented at a HealthConsult-facilitated stakeholder forum that involved participants from industry, research and consumer representative bodies.

The work generated evidence to support some important changes in the PBS rules around improving the quality use of PBS medicines for COPD, many of which have since been implemented.