Greg Hunt: New myeloma access headlines April listings

Alastair Furnival is a principal at the economic consulting practice, Evaluate. In a special comment, Mr Furnival discusses the added complexity of making and assessing economic choices in response to a pandemic.

The Pharmacy Guild and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia welcomed the range of measures extended or implemented to help ensure access to medicines while MedAdvisor says it will launch a telehealth service.

AusBiotech has urged the federal government to fast track cash refunds under the R&D Tax Incentive and drop proposed cuts to the program.

The ACCC has granted full-line PBS wholesalers an interim authorisation enabling them to co-operate on the supply and distribution of medicines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information from market intelligence firm NostraData has revealed the extent to which the prescribing and dispensing of medicines spiked in just a few weeks from mid-February to March.

More concession cards, higher prescription volume, more people qualifying for the safety net - and earlier - almost certainly means higher spending on the PBS.

Johnson & Johnson has announced the selection of a lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate and an extraordinary commitment to providing one billion doses.

Merck Healthcare has announced the significant expansion of its volunteering program to support Australians impacted by COVID-19.

Health minister Greg Hunt is expected to extend the emergency 'continued dispensing' arrangements, one country blocked Australia's attempt to export purchased health equipment, investors have backed health companies, while a new alliance of Victorian-based organisations to support cancer treatment.

In a special comment, Dr Brendan Shaw, the principal of Shawview Consulting, former CEO of MS and and assistant director-general of the IFPMA, says the PBS and Australian pharmaceutical policy have suffered some shocks in the past but nothing compares to COVID-19.

Some of the pharmaceutical sector's key representative groups have gone to the competition regulator seeking interim authorisations allowing collaboration on medicines supply during the COVID-19 crisis.