Australia: RU486 abortion pill to be taxpayer subsidized
Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommends abortion drug RU486 to PBS
Adam Bennett - AAP - April 26, 2013 9:24PM
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FEDERAL Health Minister Tanya Plibersek says government subsidies for the controversial abortion drug RU486 won't lead to more terminations if it's added to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
In what Ms Plibersek described as an important first step, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee on Friday recommended Mifepristone (RU486) and another drug taken in conjunction, Misoprostol, be covered by the scheme.
In coming weeks the government will review factors such as cost and supply of the drugs that aid the medical termination of pregnancies up to 49 days. A final decision is due before the election.
"It's not my intention that this become a political football," Ms Plibersek told reporters in Sydney.
If approved, the two drugs would likely cost $5.90 each for concessional patients and $36.10 each for general patients, saving women hundreds of dollars.
Overseas studies showed their increased availability did not lead to an increase in terminations, despite the lower cost and relative ease of use compared to surgical interventions, Ms Plibersek said.
Both drugs have been on the World Health Organisation list of essential medicines for years and used by tens of million of women around the globe.
"Deciding to terminate a pregnancy is usually an extraordinarily difficult decision for a woman to make," the minister said.
"I think the notion that people will become more frivolous because of the introduction or availability of such drugs is just not borne out."
The Australian Greens called on Ms Plibersek to list the drugs as soon as possible, arguing that if Labor lost to the coalition in September a Tony Abbott-led government could restrict access.
But Mr Abbott said he would accept the advice of health experts on drugs such as RU486 if he was elected prime minister, after having blocked access to the abortion pill when he was health minister in the former Howard coalition government.
"When I was in government, we invariably accepted the advice of our technical advisers," he told reporters in Adelaide.
"This is now before them and that would certainly be the way I would operate."
However, Ms Plibersek said there were legitimate questions to be asked about Mr Abbott's position.
"I guess it is possible that he's made a complete 180 degree turnaround on this issue," she said.
"People would question whether once he's made one complete 180 degree turnaround, whether he'll do another 180 degrees and end up back where he started."
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is against listing RU486 for ethical and health reasons, saying it would be wrong for "this just to be waved through".
"Women facing unsupported pregnancies should be offered real support - not a chemical which is harmful to both them and their unborn child," ACL spokesperson Wendy Francis said.
Another Christian group FamilyVoice Australia said RU486 would lead to other serious issues.
"The availability of a cheap abortion drug would encourage boyfriends, husbands and parents of pregnant women to coerce those women to abort," the group's research officer Ros Phillips said.
"Serious depression and suicide attempts are far more common in such women."
by: Ben Packham From: The Australian April 26, 2013 5:10PM
THE Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee has recommended the federal government subsidise the controversial abortion drug RU486.
In an announcement today, the committee said the pill should be made available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), a decision which could see its price drop by hundreds of dollars.
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said the recommendation was an important first step towards the drug being listed on the scheme, once the government had examined evidence on its safety.
Her department would also need to ensure a steady and good quality supply of the drug and reach agreement on price.
“But I have to say these drugs have been on the World Health Organisation list of essential medicines for years now,” she told reporters in Sydney.
“I would expect that a decision will be made before the federal election.” Digital Pass $1 for first 28 Days
The recommendation will be welcomed by the Australian Greens and pro-choice groups.
The Australian Christian Lobby opposes the listing for ethical and health reasons.
Listing the drug on the PBS would likely mean women paying $36.10 for each of the two pills required for a medical abortion, while those on concessions would pay only $5.90 per pill.Currently the drug costs between $250 and $350.
Earlier today, Tony Abbott said he would not intervene as prime minister to try and prevent RU486 being provided on the PBS, despite his past opposition to the abortion drug.
The Opposition Leader said he would not oppose expert advice from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.
“When I was the health minister we invariably took the advice of our professional advisers when it came to the safety and efficacy of drugs,” he said.
As health minister in the Howard government, Mr Abbott signalled he would use his veto power to prevent the approval of RU486 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, although no application to import the drug was ever made on his watch.
He was subsequently on the losing side of a parliamentary vote that stripped him of his ability to over-ride drug approvals.
Mr Abbott said he wanted to ensure women seeking abortions had the best advice and support.
“Look I understand that there are lots of people who are concerned to try to ensure that we have a humane society which deals decently with women who are in a very difficult position,” he said.
“I certainly have always said the whole issue here was to try and ensure that we empowered women to try to ensure that we gave women in a very difficult position all the support the needed to make what was for them the best possible choice.”
The Australian Greens earlier called on Ms Plibersek to move quickly to approve the listing, saying the move was long overdue.
“It is one of the last important steps in the history of giving Australian women equal access to this safe and effective termination option,” Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said.
The Australian Christian Lobby is vehemently opposed to subsidising the drug.
“Obviously we are against abortion and the destruction of human life at all of its stages,” spokesman Lyle Shelton said.
“There's obviously big question marks over the health impacts on women.”
He said the listing should not be “waved through”.
====== .. of course Australia's Christian lobby echoes yours ..
Friday, 26 April 2013 12:07
MR: ACL urges Government to reject subsidy of abortion drug RU486
MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, 26th April 2013
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has urged the government to reject the recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to publically fund abortion drug RU486.
ACL spokesperson Wendy Francis said subsidising the controversial drug – a recommendation likely to be made by PBAC today – ignores the human rights of the unborn and the adverse effects this chemical has on women.
“ACL calls on the Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek, to reject the advice of PBAC. It is the duty of our government to protect the most vulnerable, and to protect women from potential harm. Subsidising RU486 does the exact opposite,” she said.
“Taxpayer funding of this means everyone who does not support abortion has their freedom of conscience trampled upon by making them complicit in abortion.
“The government should not force those who do not agree with abortion to help pay for it. There are question marks over the health impacts on women.
“Let’s not forget that in 2010, a Melbourne woman tragically died from infection after taking RU486.
“The Therapeutic Goods Administration told the Senate last year that since 2006 there had been 832 adverse impacts on women as a result of RU486 with 599 of these women requiring surgery to remove a poisoned embryo,” she said.
It is understood that this represents about five per cent of cases of the drug use.
“Women facing unsupported pregnancies should be offered real support – not a chemical which is harmful to both them and their unborn child,” Ms Francis said.
It’s understood public funding of the drug would make it available for around $12, much less than the current cost of $300.
The drug was approved in 2006, and the Therapeutic Drugs Administration (TGA) last year approved its importation into Australia.
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