The ongoing debate regarding the US, the Trump administration's potential tariffs on pharmaceuticals and the PBS is mainly characterised by falsehoods and errors. We discuss our incredible frustration over a debate that is almost entirely disconnected from facts, including the apparent belief that Australia has a vast array of advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. We also have praise for the Prime Minister following his statements at a media conference today.

We have more health commissioners, including for genomics, and we both hope for a more meaningful discussion on weight loss therapies, the opportunities, access barriers, and their system-changing impact. Telehealth is here to stay, particularly in specific therapeutic areas, while one state has introduced political donations reform that could have a broader impact.

The health department has released its incoming ministerial brief to the reappointed Mark Butler, revealing internal government discussions over the future funding of new PBS listings, and hinting at limiting the implementation of the HTA Review recommendations to a small number of technologies. It also contradicts the claim that new PBS listings take 466 days from TGA registration, suggesting that it actually takes almost 650 days.