EmailHospital Circular 16/1998
Date Issued: 10 Sep 1998
Publication:
16/1998
Contact: Head Office
Distribution:
- Public Hospitals
- Health Insurance Organisations
Subject/s:
Highly
Specialised Drugs Program
Purpose:
The purpose of this circular is to advise hospitals involved with the
Highly Specialised Drugs Program of a number of changes to the Program.
We have had recent advice from the Commonwealth on a number changes concerning drugs on the Highly Specialised Drugs Program. Details of the changes are set out below.
1. New Drugs on Program
CIDOFOVIR (Vistide)
Sol. for I.V. infusion, 375mg in 5ml 1 vial, single use Price $900.00 per pack
Indication: Sight threatening cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients aged twelve years and over with AIDS.
Effective Subsidy Date: 1 October 1998
LAMIVUDINE AND ZIDOVUDINE (Combivir)
Tablet, 150mg - 300mg Pack size, 60 Price $578.60
Indication: Treatment of HIV infection in patients with CD4 cell counts of less than 500 per mm3, or viral load of greater than 10,000 copies per mL.
Effective Subsidy Date: 1 October 1998
SAQUINAVIR (Fortovase)
Soft gelatin capsule, 200mg Pack size, 180 Price $227.55
Indication: Treatment of HIV infection in patients with CD4 cell counts of less than 500 per mm3, or viral load of greater than 10,000 copies per mL.
Effective Subsidy Date: 1 October 1998
2. Deletion of Form or Strength
Interferon Alpha 2B (Intron A) ADVANCE NOTICE
- Injection, 3,000,000 units per vial
- Injection, 5,000,000 units per vial
- Injection, 10,000,000 units per vial
Effective deletion Date: 1 November 1998
3. Changes to Indications
FILGRASTIM (Neupogen)
New indication: Patients receiving chemotherapy for myeloma;
- who have had a prior episode of febrile neutropenia;
- for whom there is clinical justification for continuing therapy with the same drug combination, dosage and treatment schedule; and
- for whom a good response to treatment is anticipated providing chemotherapy can be delivered as planned.
Change to indication: Deletion of the word "severe" referring to febrile neutropenia in the first dot point of the indication relating to breast cancer and first line chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease so that the indication now reads:
Patients with breast cancer receiving standard dose adjuvant chemotherapy and patients receiving first line chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease;
- who have had a prior episode of (severe - delete) febrile neutropenia or prolonged severe neutropenia (neutrophil count below 1 x 109 per litre);
Effective Subsidy Date: 1 October 1998
DORNASE ALFA (Pulmozyme)
Change to indication: The Highly Specialised Drugs Working Party agreed that the reporting requirements for Dornase Alfa be revised to eliminate problems relating the interpretation of the definitions of patient category. The revised reporting categories will now be:
- Number of patients who commenced a four week trial during the quarter; and
- Total number of patients (including trial patients).
Effective Subsidy Date: 1 July 1998 (1st quarter 1998/99)
4. CHANGE OF NAME - ERYTHROPOIETIN (Eprex)
Erythropoietin is now called Epoetin alfa.
Please find attached the relevant pages to revise Appendices 2, 3 and 8 of the Commonwealth/State Highly Specialised Drugs Program Guidelines, August 1997. Please update your guidelines with the attached pages.
Please note Commonwealth/State Highly Specialised Drugs Program Guidelines can now be found on the internet either through the Department of Human Services Home page (Acute Health), or directly on http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hsdp/. Any changes notified by hospital circular will be immediately updated in the Guidelines on the internet.
DR C W
BROOK
DIRECTOR
ACUTE HEALTH
