Judging by the Treasurer's unfortunate reflection on the US-based pharmaceutical industry on Budget night, a mature discussion on the PBS involving all our political leaders is too much to ask.
It's worth remembering that the US-based industry is among the largest investors in Australian clinical research and advanced manufacturing. Securing the industry's investment is a strategic pillar of the Albanese Government's industry policy.
Yet, when the industry restates many of the criticisms levelled at the PBS by Australian stakeholders, some consider childish political dog whistles an appropriate response.
Fortunately, the industry has heard it all before and responded accordingly.
In its response to the Budget, Medicines Australia finally quoted Minister Butler's 2023 description of PBS decision-making as "clunky." The association is almost there. It just needs to add his acknowledgement that it's responsible for preventable deaths, his repeated interventions to address institutional blockages, and this week's apology for access delays.
The truth is liberating for the industry, so run to it.
The US industry's criticisms of the PBS are mostly lifted from stakeholder submissions to the Health Technology Assessment Review, setting aside the objective fact that Australia has not implemented its intellectual property commitments under the bilateral trade agreement with the US.
In an interview with ABC 7. 30 Report last night, Lilly CEO David Ricks stated the obvious: The industry wants a better PBS, not to dismantle it, and that means faster access.
It's very simple.
