Clinician concerns about the PBS age restrictions for ICS+LABA fixed dose combination (FDC) products in asthma have led to a proposed change in PBS listings to allow second line treatment.
At its December 2019 meeting, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended a separate Authority Required (STREAMLINED) code for ICS+LABA FDC products other than fluticasone propionate + salmeterol: one that is silent on age and restricts use to those who have failed fluticasone propionate + salmeterol.
The PBAC recommended that prescribing for this second-line listing would be limited to respiratory specialists and paediatricians.
The Committee said it had noted concerns raised by clinicians that treatment for children under the age of 12 who have failed on fluticasone propionate + salmeterol was not covered by the existing PBS restrictions. They therefore considered that there was an unmet clinical need in this patient group.
However the Committee said in its outcomes statement that the existing PBS restrictions for ICS + LABA FDC products should be retained, as they provide guidance for clinicians around the appropriate use of FDC products in children.