The federal government is under pressure from the Coalition after removing a key lifesaving drug from the pharmaceutical benefits scheme (PBS), sending its cost soaring for thousands of Australians.
Fifteen thousand Australians, many whom are children, who rely on Novo Nordisk’s fast-acting insulin drug Fiasp to manage their Type 1 diabetes will now face skyrocketing costs to keep their autoimmune disease under control.
This will mean that Type 1 diabetics who utilise Fiasp will be forced to pay hundreds of dollars a month more for the drug after its prices rose 41-fold, from the subsidised $7 (US$4.65) a month to $287. At present, there are 13,000 children and young adults who are Type 1 diabetics in Australia, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare….