The Albanese Government is taking immediate steps to bring medicines and new treatments to Australians sooner following the delivery of the interim report by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review Implementation Advisory Group.
The Implementation Advisory Group was established to guide critical reforms in response to the findings and recommendations of the HTA Review Report released in September 2024.
In response to the findings of the Implementation Advisory Group interim report the Albanese Government is taking immediate actions to:
- commence consultation on trialling new ways to streamline assessment of medicines
- begin a rolling review of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) Guidelines prioritising comparator selection and discount rate as the first areas for review
- undertake rapid research into areas of high unmet clinical need and high added therapeutic value, including agreed definitions of these terms
- develop a HTA stakeholder engagement framework with a particular focus on improving consumer and patient engagement
- hold bi-annual stakeholder meetings to consider specific issue related to medicines for First Nations people.
The HTA Review Report made 50 recommendations across a range of areas, including improving access to new health technologies, tackling inequity, and making HTA processes simpler and easier for consumers and clinicians to participate in.
The interim report provides early insights from the advisory group's work to date. The final report and proposed implementation roadmap are expected to be provided to the government in January 2026.
The Implementation Advisory Group is independently chaired by Professor Andrew Wilson and includes health consumers, industry, clinicians, and First Nations people as well as government.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"The Albanese Government is building a health system where all Australians can access effective and affordable health technologies in an equitable and timely way.
"The HTA Review Report and the contributions of the IAG are essential to advancing reforms that improve access to innovative medicines.
"These early actions will help to ensure the system continues to provide Australians with world-class access to medicines while preparing to meet the needs of Australians into the future."
