pharmaceutical benefit scheme
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 11
pharmaceutical benefit scheme
Hello all,
I have been reading up on the PBS in western Australia and it seems herceptin is available to UK visitors on the reciprocal agreement terms. As my mum has Metastatic breast cancer and has a dose of herceptin every 3 weeks it seems should would be able to have a treatment while she comes to visit me in australia. Does anyone know anymore information on this matter or had any experience? Or if anyone knows any fine print for this scenario?
As I have emailed pbs but says it can take several weeks to reply.
Any help appreciated - thank you 😁
Joanna
I have been reading up on the PBS in western Australia and it seems herceptin is available to UK visitors on the reciprocal agreement terms. As my mum has Metastatic breast cancer and has a dose of herceptin every 3 weeks it seems should would be able to have a treatment while she comes to visit me in australia. Does anyone know anymore information on this matter or had any experience? Or if anyone knows any fine print for this scenario?
As I have emailed pbs but says it can take several weeks to reply.
Any help appreciated - thank you 😁
Joanna
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 189
Re: pharmaceutical benefit scheme
This seems to fall under the Highly Specialised Drug program. Have a look at https://www.humanservices.gov.au/hea...d-claiming-hsd
This looks a little bit complicated - for a GP to prescribe it looks like they need a covering hospital specialist. Your mum will need to get a reciprocal care Medicare card (green) first and it also states that no repeat prescriptions will be allowed for folk from the UK - how long is your mum here for?
My advice (as an ex-UK GP now in Aus) is to see if you can get either your mum's GP or current specialist to try and make contact with someone in the area where you are to see what can be arranged in advance. Like many bureaucratic issues in Australian health care, this may not be as simple to organise as it should be.
Obviously she will need valid travel insurance as well.
Good luck and hope you get a solution sorted out.
This looks a little bit complicated - for a GP to prescribe it looks like they need a covering hospital specialist. Your mum will need to get a reciprocal care Medicare card (green) first and it also states that no repeat prescriptions will be allowed for folk from the UK - how long is your mum here for?
My advice (as an ex-UK GP now in Aus) is to see if you can get either your mum's GP or current specialist to try and make contact with someone in the area where you are to see what can be arranged in advance. Like many bureaucratic issues in Australian health care, this may not be as simple to organise as it should be.
Obviously she will need valid travel insurance as well.
Good luck and hope you get a solution sorted out.