The Minister for Health has appointed a Deputy chairperson, an endocrinologist and a haematologist to the panel of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

Ms Jo Watson, a PBAC member and Chair of the Health Technology Assessment Consumer Consultative Committee has been appointed as the first Deputy Chair of the committee.

The other two appointments are Dr (Peter) Shane Hamblin (specialist medical practitioner, endocrinologist) and Professor Phoebe Joy Ho, a haematologist.

The Department of Health said the latest appointments meant the Committee was now at full capacity, “enhancing its ability to address the growing number of increasingly complex submissions.”