title: Access to new cancer medicines in Australia: dispelling the myths and informing a public debate.
abstract: Despite the high level of spending on cancer medicines in Australia, consumer organisations and the pharmaceutical industry often make claims of delayed or lack of access to new cancer medicines-claims that are frequently supported by prominent coverage in the Australian media. These claims, while morally and psychologically compelling, tend to ignore the complexity of medicines funding decisions. In this commentary we summarise the current situation regarding the registration and funding of cancer medicines in Australia, elucidate the main challenges associated with access to cancer medicines in the Australian context, and describe some of the steps that have been taken to address these challenges.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001 Australia.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vitry
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Bias and Research Integrity Node, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Johns Hopkins Drive, Camperdown, NSW 2050 Australia.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mintzes
authors.affiliation: Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, School of Public Health, Medical Foundation Building K25, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lipworth
keywords: Cancer medicines; Consumer engagement; Funding; High prices; Public debate; Transparency