Abstract
Reference is made to a letter [1] that appeared in the Journal regarding the delisting of the Lundbeck products Clopixol and Fluanxol from the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
I am pleased to advise that these products will be relisted on the PBS effective 1 September 2011 following a decision by Federal Cabinet. The Fluanxol 40 mg depot injection will unfortunately not be relisted.
In the letter it is suggested that the manner in which the products were delisted was ‘surreptitious’. This is not correct. Lundbeck in fact wrote a letter to all Australian psychiatrists notifying them that it had no choice but to delist the products from the PBS following the government's rejection of a requested price increase for Clopixol and Fluanxol, the first such request since the products were originally listed in 1997. We have worked hard to have the products reinstated to the PBS and regret any inconvenience caused to doctors and patients while this matter was being resolved.
I would like to take this opportunity to reassure all medical practitioners that Lundbeck is firmly committed to supporting their patients with psychiatric disorders.