A family planning group has applied to put abortion drugs on the PBS, says Minister Tanya Plibersek. Source: AAP
FEDERAL Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has congratulated a family planning group for its efforts to put a controversial abortion drug on a list of taxpayer-subsidised medicines.
But she stressed on Thursday she would not interfere with Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) deliberations over whether to add Mifepristone Linepharma and GyMiso (Misoprostol) to the list of subsidised drugs.
A not-for-profit subsidiary of reproductive health group Marie Stopes International, MS Health, has applied for the two drugs to be added to the list of PBS medicines.
"Australian women have been unusual in the world in not having access to these drugs," Ms Plibersek told reporters.
"Tens of millions of women have taken them around the world, and I congratulate Marie Stopes ... for steering the listing of these drugs through the therapeutic drugs administration and now making this application to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee."
Mifepristone is better known in Australia as RU486, which Opposition Leader Tony Abbott tried to ban when he was health minister in 2006.
That led to a conscience vote in the parliament which deprived the minister of regulatory control of the drug.
"Although I absolutely won't interfere in the listing process as former health minister Tony Abbott wanted to do, these drugs have been on the World Health Organisation list of essential medicines for some time now," Ms Plibersek said.
A Marie Stopes spokeswoman told AAP the drugs would cost women about $250-350 if they were not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, depending on pharmacists' retail margins.
PBS-listed drugs are cheaper for consumers, effectively making them more widely available.
"Most of the listed medicines are dispensed by pharmacists and used by patients at home," the spokeswoman said.
"As it stands, surgical abortion is funded through Medicare and Mifepristone Linepharma may be a good candidate for PBS reimbursement.
"We believe in ensuring accessible and affordable choices for women and would like to see both methods equally available to women."
The PBAC will consider the application in March, but its response is not expected to be known for months.
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