Cost Burden Eased For Patients With Cancer

Mr Mark Coure has welcomed the NSW Government’s delivery of another election promise to ease the financial burden on patients living with cancer and other chronic conditions.

The NSW Government will cover the co-payments for public hospital patients receiving Section 100 (s100) Highly Specialised Drugs and Section 100 injectable and infusible chemotherapy medicines.

“This election commitment will relieve the stress on those living with complex illnesses having to fork out for essential but expensive medication”

“This change took effect on October 1 and will save patients with cancer or other chronic diseases an average $1,400 per year.”

“This change will benefit many people living with cancer and HIV, patients with organ and tissue transplants, schizophrenia, hepatitis, Crohn’s disease and cystic fibrosis.” Mr Coure said.

Other conditions treated by s100 Highly Specialised Drug medicines include psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis and severe allergic asthma and rare diseases, particularly those affecting children, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

The co-payment will be paid for eligible patients regardless of whether prescriptions are filled at NSW public hospital pharmacies, NSW community pharmacies or through pharmacies used by NSW public hospital oncology clinics.

The changes apply to public non-admitted patients, outpatients or day patients, inpatients on discharge from public hospitals and privately referred non-admitted patients of NSW public hospitals.

Highly Specialised Drugs and injectable and infusible chemotherapy are subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and administered under Section 100 of the National Health Act 1953. For more information on the changes, go to www.health.nsw.gov.au/pharmaceutical