PBS restrictions on GP-administered buprenorphine could leave patients with ‘nowhere to go’
As drugs like buprenorphine are brought under the PBS, GPs who administer them directly will be forced to stop.
An impending ban on GPs administering long-acting buprenorphine as a private script will risk vulnerable patients falling through the cracks, says GP and addiction expert Dr Simon Holliday.
From July, patients on opioid dependence treatments will face out-of-pocket costs of $30 a month, rather than $5-$15 a day, as the drugs are added to the PBS’ section 100 — Highly Specialised Drugs Program (Community Access).
