More than 65,000 Australians are expected to benefit from cheaper access to a medicine for chronic kidney disease recently added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Jardiance, also known as Empagliflozin, is a medication that can slow kidney damage over time and help preserve kidney function for longer.
Health Minister Mark Butler says it's a life-changing drug for many Australians.
"Last year, we listed Jardiance for a limited group of Australians with a particular type of kidney disease. But from Saturday, we think another 70,000 Australians with kidney disease will become eligible for this life-changing drug," he said on Tuesday.
According to the 2021 Census, around 1 per cent of the Australian population is living with kidney disease, with one in twenty Australians aged 75 and above being diagnosed with the disease.
'It's gonna make a big difference'
Peter Brown, who was diagnosed with kidney disease two years ago and has been relying on medication to improve his condition, said he was pleased to learn his upcoming medication bill can be cheaper
"It's gonna make a big difference, and the fact that $7.70 is a big difference when you work it out over 12 months," said Brown, referring to the concession-card rate for a single script of Jardiance.
For eligible patients without a concession card, a script now costs $31.60. From next year, the price will be further lowered to $25.
Health Minister Mark Butler says Jardiance, also known as Empagliflozin, is life-changing for many Australians. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"We think more than two and a half million Australians have kidney disease, but less than 10 per cent of them know about it, because the signs and symptoms of kidney disease usually only become apparent when it's as much as 90 per cent of loss of kidney function has already taken place."
Professor Carol Pollock, the chair of Kidney Health Australia, also stresses the importance of conducting health checks to detect the asymptomatic disease.
"To pick up kidney disease, what we really need is a blood test, a blood pressure check and a urine test. And some people will have some of these tests done, but not always together, and we really need the three of them to be done," she said.
"And what we would like to see is a kidney health check that meant that people would have those things done and then have an understanding of what the risk the kidney disease could be and allow it to be appropriately treated."
