Forum Discussion

SoldierCrab's avatar
SoldierCrab
Member
9 years ago

Armidex has been taken off PBS

OK one of the ladies in the Breast Cancer and Beyond facebook page.... JUST posted this 

had to fill my script for Airmidex today,(almost 3 years down 2-7 to go) it is no longer on the PBS now over $70, got the another brand of anastrozole, told that on the 1st of every month the Gov./Medicare changes what is on/off the PBS list even the pharmacy doesn't know untll they dispense them, could be back on next month
hormone-therapy
  • Ellie_BCNA's avatar
    Ellie_BCNA
    Member
    9 years ago

    Hi Brissiegal,

    Thanks for your query about ordering medicines from For Benefit Medicines (FBM). We have followed up with Chemmart and they have confirmed that, from 1 October, they have been able to provide Anastrozole FBM and Letrozole FBM if they are ordered in.

    If you are interested in knowing more about FBM and BCNA, you can read about it on our website.

    Thanks again for raising this query with us,

    Ellie

  • Brissiegal's avatar
    Brissiegal
    Member
    9 years ago
    My pharmacy part of the Chem Mart chain and they can't order from the company that donates to BCNA
  • SoldierCrab's avatar
    SoldierCrab
    Member
    9 years ago
    my email is touchy_crab..... when I got my diagnosis of BC my best friend renamed me Soldier Crab
  • SoldierCrab's avatar
    SoldierCrab
    Member
    9 years ago
    @Kathy_BCNA  are you happy for me to post this on my Breast Cancer and Beyond group on facebook as this is where this query came from on the weekend. 
  • Nadi's avatar
    Nadi
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hi Everyone
    This is Kathy from the BCNA Policy Team.
    Just want to reassure you that Arimidex is still on the PBS. As Rowdy says above, there are also a number of generic brands now available too. The generic version of Arimidex is called anastrozole and Femara is letrozole. You may like to talk to your pharmacist or you can ring around to compare prices. You cannot be charged more than the PBS script fee (currently $38.30 or $6.20 for health care card holders). One of the generic brand companies donates 50% of profits from its sales of anastrozole and letrozole to BCNA and the other 50% to breast cancer research. You can read more about that on our website if you are interested.

    Hi Kathy. The above link doesn't work for me. I keep getting a page not found code.

    Thnx
  • Kathy_BCNA's avatar
    Kathy_BCNA
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hi Everyone
    This is Kathy from the BCNA Policy Team.
    Just want to reassure you that Arimidex is still on the PBS. As Rowdy says above, there are also a number of generic brands now available too. The generic version of Arimidex is called anastrozole and Femara is letrozole. You may like to talk to your pharmacist or you can ring around to compare prices. You cannot be charged more than the PBS script fee (currently $38.30 or $6.20 for health care card holders). One of the generic brand companies donates 50% of profits from its sales of anastrozole and letrozole to BCNA and the other 50% to breast cancer research. You can read more about that on our website if you are interested.
  • rowdy's avatar
    rowdy
    Member
    9 years ago
    Hi all I went to the chemist today and they said the price has gone down and it is still on the PBS. He also stated that there is a generic brand that is cheaper
  • iserbrown's avatar
    iserbrown
    Member
    9 years ago
    I agree. To be constantly paying for treatments and medications!  It's frustrating and then there is all the other lack of income, physio, massage that health insurance only covers to a certain amount or number of treatments as well as the personal items and so it goes
    End of whinge