Commonwealth legislation

National Health Act 1953 - Declaration under subsection 85(2AA) (No. PB 5 of 2003)

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Collection

legislative instrument

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

This declaration removes government subsidies for two specific prescription medications from 1 May 2003.

What this means: The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is the system where the Australian government subsidizes the cost of medicines. When a drug is removed from Part VII of the National Health Act (what this declaration does), it ceases to be a "pharmaceutical benefit." Patients must then pay the full unsubsidized price rather than the discounted PBS price.

The two drugs affected:

Bumetanide — a diuretic ("water pill") used to treat fluid retention caused by heart, kidney, or liver conditions
Urofollitrophin — a fertility hormone used in IVF and other assisted reproductive treatments

This decision followed advice from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, which reviews whether medicines offer sufficient value to justify continued taxpayer funding.

JSON API Health / NDIS / medicines

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Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in National Health Act 1953 - Declaration under subsection 85(2AA) (No. PB 5 of 2003).

National Health Act 1953 - Declaration under subsection 85(2AA) (No. PB 5 of 2003)

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

National Health Act 1953

PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS

DECLARATION UNDER SUBSECTION 85(2AA)

No. PB 5 of 2003

I, JOAN CORBETT, Assistant Secretary, Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch, Department of Health and Ageing and Delegate of the Minister for Health and Ageing, having in accordance with subsection 85(2AB) of the National Health Act 1953 obtained the advice of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, pursuant to subsection 85(2AA) of the National Health Act 1953 hereby make the following Declaration:

This Declaration commences on 1 May 2003.
The drugs and medicinal preparations specified in the Schedule to this Declaration shall cease to be drugs and medicinal preparations to which Part VII of the National Health Act 1953 applies.

THE SCHEDULE

Bumetanide

Urofollitrophin

Dated this tenth day of April 2003.

JOAN CORBETT

Assistant Secretary

Pharmaceutical Benefits Branch

Department of Health and Ageing

Delegate of the Minister for Health and Ageing

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 National Health Act 1953 - Declaration under subsection 85(2AA) (No. PB 5 of 2003)