Biosimilar Hub News

Doctors, pharmacists, medical researchers, and hospital leaders attend ‘Your Patients, Your Government’ Multidisciplinary Forum and Workshop”

October 2, 2019 Sydney, NSW

The Federal Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, opened a high-level forum for the health sector on Wednesday evening, by urging Australia’s health professionals to embrace more innovative ways to support the appropriate uptake of biosimilar medicines.

GBMA Education, the educational arm of the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA), hosted the Your Patients, Your Government Multidisciplinary Forum and Workshop at the NSW Parliament on Wednesday evening, October 02.

The unique event brought together specialists, GPs, community and hospital pharmacists, private and public hospitals, patient advocacy groups and Government representatives to explore key topics for biosimilar medicines and their role in supporting the future of sustainable healthcare in Australia.

Minister Hunt delivered the keynote address and his remarks underscore the growing importance of biosimilar medicines to the national healthcare framework.

Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, welcomed the forum, saying it was a “co-operative endeavour to deliver better health for all Australians.”

“The Government is committed to working closely with the GBMA and the healthcare sector, to support a robust generic and biosimilar sector for the benefit of all Australians now and into the future,” Minister Hunt said.

Minister Hunt’s call for a deeper understanding of the economic benefits to be gained from this emerging class of medicines led into a series of robust panel discussions with health officials and health professionals on how best to consider biosimilar medicines in our healthcare system to drive uptake, where appropriate for Australian patients.

The opening sessions and keynote address for the Your Patients, Your Government forum were also livestreamed nationally to the broader healthcare sector.

GBMA Education Chief Executive Officer, Ms Marnie Peterson, praised Mr Hunt’s commitment to support the biosimilar medicines sector and said education was just one of the tools available to patients, their healthcare professionals, and hospitals to drive uptake of biosimilar medicines.

“We all have an important role to play in ensuring that biosimilar medicines deliver to their full potential, to support the sustainability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme allowing all Australians greater, and more affordable, access to innovative medicines” Ms Peterson said.

“We are genuinely pleased to be able to work with the Government and so many health professionals and patients to deepen understanding and drive confidence about biosimilar medicines.”

GBMA Education acknowledges the provision of funding by the Australian Government for this event.