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Basic errors in The Conversation articleHow drug companies are playing hardball with Australia’s PBS‍ ‍

22 July 2026

Better Access Australia have written to the editors The Conversation seeking the immediate removal of selectively quoted and inaccurate portrayals of comments made by the authors in the article How drug companies are playing hardball with Australia’s PBS. In this article the authors selectively quote the Chair of Better Access Australia, Ms Felicity McNeill PSM, in relation to Australia's PBS spend. The authors then go on to quote incorrect figures as to Australia's actual PBS spend claiming that this is not 'charity'. However, they have not quoted PBS figures, instead they have relied on OECD figures that relate to public and private expenditure of health care products, which includes spending on band aids, vitamins and condoms. A basic and serious error.

Using the Australian Government source document, The PBS Expenditure Report for 2024-25 (the latest data publicly available -  https://www.pbs.gov.au/statistics/expenditure-prescriptions/expenditure-prescriptions-report-1-july-2024-30-june-2025), the gross (public and private co-contribution) spend on the PBS was $19.1B. Table 1 on page 2 shows that net Government PBS spend is $12.557B. Pharmacy dispensing fees ($4.809B) and wholesale markups ($617M) (Tables on page 48) need to be subtracted as these do not relate to the price paid to companies for medicines. Hence, the actual Government spend on medicines is $10.131B. Using an Australian population figure of 28M, the per capita expenditure was $361.82 , which is 71% lower than the figure quoted in the article. This significant factual error undermines the authors' argument, and justifies BAA Chair’s previous media statements. 

The authors' description of PBS pricing processes was also inaccurate, in that the mechanism by which prices are set and adjusted for PBS listed medicines missed crucial steps, such as risk share arrangements, that impact the commercial viability of PBS listings. Unlike the authors who have an outsiders understanding of the system, BAAs Chair ran the PBS within the Department of Health for 5 years and was involved in numerous pricing negotiations. 

The references to parallel imports, other specialised medicine programs, and the theft of company IP, for the supposed "greater good", further emphasise a lack of legal and regulatory knowledge on the operation of Australian law and medicine markets, and for these reasons alone the article should be removed.

Given the significant factual inaccuracies in this article, Better Access Australia has requested The Conversation immediately remove the article. Better Access Australia has also request that a note be issued clarifying that the previous content had been removed due to factual inaccuracies and an apology issued to BAA and our Chair for these errors.  

Multiple sclerosis drugs will stay on the PBS - for now, but there's still a way to go

17 July 2026 ABC News

With the Minister announcing the intravenous MS medicines would remain on the PBS the immediate delisting battle may have been won but the war is still going with the PBAC announcing another review of the medicines. Without a legislated priority on patients - this is just the tip of the iceberg.

BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill PSM, discusses MS decision with Kate Richardson on ABC TV News. Watch here.

Multiple Sclerosis drugs saved from PBS pricing axe

16 July 2026 The Australian

The PBAC has written to the Minister for Health and Agreed to keep two intravenous MS medicines on the PBS at their current pricing - but with a catch.

BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill PSM, comments in an article by Natasha Robison. Read here.

PBS processes put procurement outcomes ahead of multiple sclerosis patients

14 July 2026 7:30 Report, ABC

It is putting patient access to medicines they have come to rely on at risk. Intravenous MS treatments are the latest example of this crisis in access, and its time for the government to change its approach and put patients before procurement.

BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill PSM, discusses PBS process with Nicole Hegarty on ABC 7:30 Report. Watch here.

Drug price disputes swamp advisory committee

8 July 2026 The Australian

With 10 appications for review of listing prices, price cuts, risk share arrangements the system is slowly suffering the death of a thousand cuts. The PBS has hit a tipping point and its time for the Government to take step back and put patients first in its consideration of medicine access on the PBS.

BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill PSM, comments in an article by Natasha Robison. Read here.

'An afterthought': Patients left waiting in drug price war

21 June 2026 The Australian

With 10 applications for review of listing prices, price cuts, risk share arrangements the system is slowly suffering the death of a thousand cuts. The PBS has hit a tipping point and its time for the Government to take step back and put patients first in its consideration of medicine access on the PBS.

BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill PSM, comments in an article by Natasha Robison. Read here.

Lifesaving drugs blocked by Australia's 'broken' approvals process

12 February 2026 The Australian

BAA highlighted that between overzealous price gauging by the Government and over ambitious price requests from industry, patients are missing out in a system of two adversaries trying to out bluff each other. Meanwhile, the hidden secret of Government listing items on the PBS and expecting companies to pay for those listings instead of the Government (risk share agreements) is a ticking time bomb of access being lost to existing listings and new listings never arriving.

BAA Chair, Felicity McNeill PSM, comments in an article by Natasha Robison. Read here.

BAA 2026-27 Budget Submission

Better Access Australia has released its 2026–27 Federal Budget priorities, calling for targeted reforms to improve healthcare affordability, expand access to life-saving medicines, deliver on the Government's newborn screening commitments, and introduce fairer means testing across major subsidy programs. The proposals aim to strengthen Australia's health system, improve equity, and ensure public funding is directed to those who need it most while delivering better outcomes for patients and taxpayers.

Read our 2026-27 Budget Submission here.