Adding your voice to funding applications for myeloma treatments

In Australia, there are two government advisory committees that determine whether to recommend that a medicine or medical technology should be subsidised. These two committees are:

• Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) – medicines
• Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) – medical technologies

As part of their decision-making process, these committees not only consider how clinically and cost effective a new medicine or technology is, they also invite people with myeloma, as well as their carer/s and family, to have their say on how this medicine or technology would benefit them. They do this through inviting consumer comments.

What should I include in a consumer comment submission?

The committee asks for you to be as specific as possible in your consumer comment submission. They want to know about:

• Your experience of living with myeloma or supporting someone with myeloma.
• How important it is to have new treatments available when you need them
• How living with myeloma affects you or your support network
• Your experiences with the drug if you have accessed it on clinical trial
• How your current treatment impacts your life

When writing your submissions please note the committee don’t want to receive multiple submissions of the same information and they do not need you to explain myeloma or for you to try to summarise the clinical trial data as this information is provided in great detail from the company.

How to make a submission