While our health care services are not in terminal decline, they are suffering from some chronic illnesses. Yet successive governments have examined our health care policies and done little more than slap on some sticking-plaster and send the more demanding patients away with a jellybean.

The CPD’s work tackles the inefficiency, inequity and needless complexity of our health system. We provide a platform for experts, stakeholders and citizens to share information and develop ideas to resuscitate Australia’s ailing health policies.

Generic Medicines

Introduction Generic medicines are not usually newsworthy in Australia. They seldom achieve the level of public awareness that they do in the United States where many patients have to pay full cost for their medicines and selection of a generic product may result in a substantial cost saving. Several factors have made generic medicines newsworthy recently. The first and the most obvious is the publicity given to the mandatory (but rather small) 12.5 per cent … more

Is there a crisis in the NSW Public Hospital system?

I recently reviewed the file of a patient in a NSW public hospital. He was an elderly man who presented in a confused state. He was a chronic alcoholic with long-term, alcohol-related brain damage. His life involved going to his local club to eat two meals a day, and drinking himself into a stupor every night. He was single. During a lengthy hospital stay, he had one visit from a drinking mate. The likelihood he … more

This week in the Policy Portal

Two important articles have been added to the Health Policy Portal this week. Is there a crisis in NSW hospitals? by Brad Frankum Director of Medicine for Macarthur Health in NSW, Dr Brad Frankum, speaks from his heart about his concerns – a wasteful use of resources, media sensationalism, micro-management from above and professional abdication of responsibility. His insights are frank and disturbing. Brad Frankum’s article can be read here Generic Medicines by David Henry. … more

 

Pharmacies and Competition

The recent Productivity Commission final report on the review of national competition policy reforms (Feb 2005), pages 261-265, link www.pc.gov.au , draws attention to the numerous licensing, ownership, location and advertising restrictions which severely limit competition in the pharmacy sector. The report concludes that ‘pharmacy restrictions potentially impose large costs on consumers, taxpayers and the wider community’. A new Commonwealth Government agreement with the pharmacy sector must be completed by June 30, 2005. The Pharmaceutical … more

The dangers of American-style health reforms for Australia

The Productivity Commission has flagged in its recently released Review of National Policy Reforms, 2005 that ‘major changes could be made to the roles, responsibilities and funding arrangements’ of the Australian health system. One ‘possible option’ is permitting, or even requiring, those who can afford it to leave the public system, and be treated privately. Everyone else would remain in the public health system. The main problem with this suggestion is the high risks of … more

The Hospital tail wags the Health Dog

Two key principles in any health system must be: 1. Health care and information based on the patient and as close to the patient’s home as possible. Institutional care and hospitals should be the last resort. 2. An actively involved community in determining health priorities because we can’t have all we want. Unless the community is involved, resources will go the influential and media savvy. One clear example of where our health system does not … more

 

The problem with Medicare Gold

Firstly, this scheme is a direct attack upon the universality of the health system. Those over 75 will receive better access to care than those under 75. With time, if the scheme works perfectly, and is combined with the many other improvements to the health system which are needed, those under 75 may achieve parity, but it is unlikely. The Coalition claimed that it was retaining universality with its changes to Medicare, but what it … more

A better future: Options for reform

Reform principles In Australia, the State level of government is particularly responsive to differences in the circumstances and preferences of, say, North Queensland versus Tasmanian families. On the other hand, the Federal Government’s role is to ensure that both are treated equitably in the distribution of income and have access to services of a minimum national standard. Reform principles This chapter canvasses some guiding principles for consideration of reform to the way in which the … more

Black babies are dying in Australia today

The health of Indigenous Australians is in crisis. We are facing the greatest threat to our survival since the arrival of the First Fleet – an emergency that demands immediate action. Overall, Australians enjoy amongst the highest standard of health and life expectancy in the world. Yet Indigenous infants die at roughly twice the rate of other Australian babies, and twice as many Indigenous children are born at low birth weight. The median age at … more