The December edition of NPS RADAR has welcomed the public release of documents which provide insight into the decision-making about new medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

‘The newly-released public summary documents (PSD) can be read as companions to NPS RADAR. They add important information to that already provided by NPS RADAR,’ Dr Peter Roush, Chair of the NPS New Drugs Working Group, said.

The PSD are based on the minutes of Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) meetings which consider major submissions about drugs seeking to be listed on the PBS.

‘Each of these publications has an important role that adds to the transparency of the PBAC process and promotion of quality use of medicines,’ he said. ‘A more complete picture about new drugs is now available.’

‘NPS RADAR advises on applying the listing to clinical practice by providing information on the place in therapy of the new drug relative to other therapies,’ Dr Roush said.

The December edition of NPS RADAR reviews three drugs: atorvastatin (Lipitor), anastrozole (Arimidex), and buprenorphine transdermal patches (Norspan).

The review on atorvastatin looks at the evidence comparing it with other statins and if there is any basis for preferring one statin over another.

It concludes that atorvastatin is more potent at lowering cholesterol than simvastatin or pravastatin, but is not a preferred choice if existing treatment with these statins achieves target cholesterol levels.

The PBS listing for anastrozole was recently broadened to include treating all postmenopausal women with early or advanced hormone-dependent breast cancer. NPS RADAR considers the role of adjuvant therapy and compares anastrozole with tamoxifen.

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that has been used for many years for opioid dependence and intra-operative analgesia. A newly formulated transdermal buprenorphine patch has been PBS listed for patients with non-cancer pain requiring a strong opioid. NPS RADAR considers what this new presentation adds to the opioid analgesic alternatives.

To register for your free NPS RADAR log on to www.npsradar.org.au. The website also includes previous issues of RADAR.

The PSDs are available on the Department of Health and Ageing website www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/pbac-outcomes-and-public-summarydocuments.

 ENDS

NPS RADAR provides independent information about new medicines and changes to PBS listings important to GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals involved in primary care management of patients. More than 20,000 people have registered to receive NPS RADAR.

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is a member-based organisation providing accurate, balanced, evidence-based information and services to health professionals and the community on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). To achieve this we work in partnership with GPs, pharmacists, specialists, other health professionals, Government, pharmaceutical industry, consumer organisations and the community.