Senator BARNETT (2:16 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Patterson. Will the minister update the Senate on the latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which shows that Australia's health system is protecting more Australians from heart disease? Do the results of this report support the actions taken by the Howard government to secure the future of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme?

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Health and Ageing) —I thank Senator Bartlett for his question—

Senator Mark Bishop —Barnett!

Senator PATTERSON —I mean Senator Barnett. I apologise to Senator Barnett. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare this morning released a report into cardiovascular disease entitled Epidemic of coronary heart disease and its treatment in Australia. I think most honourable senators in this chamber ought to focus on the answer to this question, because many of us are in that risk category.

Senator Vanstone —And we need more exercise.

Senator PATTERSON —Yes, we need more exercise. The report shows that between 1993 and 2000 the number of Australians suffering heart attacks fell by one-fifth, or 20 per cent. This is a tremendous result in terms of public health outcomes and I think it is something we all ought to be very proud of. During the same period, the death rate from heart disease has fallen by over 30 per cent. People who suffer heart attacks have a much better chance of survival now, as the fatality rates fell by between 12 and 16 per cent. There has been a 12 per cent decline in hospital admissions for heart attacks, which is also an excellent result.

This latest report by the AIHW builds on the findings of a previous report by the AIHW entitled Australia's Health 2002 which was released in June this year. It showed that since 1996 the incidence of heart disease has fallen six per cent and that death rates from heart attack have fallen by two-thirds in the past 30 years. Unfortunately, heart disease still remains one of the biggest killers of Australians, but we can say from these results that we are heading in the right direction.

The institute credits a number of factors for the improvements that we have seen. They include a rapid increase in medical procedures such as coronary angioplasty and cardiac bypass surgery. All of us admire the work of cardiac surgeons—the very delicate work that they do. This sort of surgery overcomes blockages that occur in the heart's arteries and the increased skill and abilities of our surgeons are reflected in these figures. The other issue which has contributed to the decline in deaths from heart disease is a decline in smoking, and I remind those people around this chamber who smoke that they should give up.

Senator Mark Bishop —Stand up!

Senator PATTERSON —They should stand up and give up. I am not only speaking about members of parliament; I know there are some attendants here whom I remind on a daily basis that they should give up smoking. The decline in smoking has been a factor. It has gone from 23 per cent in 1997— and one of the major factors has been our national anti-smoking program—to 19.5 per cent today, which is one of the lowest rates in the Western world.

Significantly, the other factor that the report also credits is the large increase in the prescribing of cholesterol lowering medicines and some blood pressure lowering medicines. Since 1994, PBS spending on cholesterol lowering medicines has increased from $112 million to $632 million. The most commonly prescribed medication on the PBS is a statin, which is a cholesterol lowering medication. That costs $80 per person per script, a fact that most Australians are not aware of. These medicines are effective, as long as they are prescribed within the guidelines set by our expert committee, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, which we task with setting appropriate prescribing guidelines. We are now spending $632 million on cholesterol lowering medicines, and evidence shows that they work when prescribed appropriately. I want this to continue and I am sure that everyone in this chamber would also want heart disease and heart attacks to continue to fall. (Time expired)

Senator BARNETT (2:21 PM) —Mr President, I rise to ask a supplementary question. What action is the Howard government taking to support the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme? Is the minister aware of any alternative policies to support a sustainable Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme?

Senator PATTERSON (Minister for Health and Ageing) —As I said, I want to be able to afford the next type of medicine to deal with heart disease. This is exactly why, in this year's budget, the government announced a range of measures to secure the future of the PBS, to bring it under control and make it sustainable. The fact is that since 1990 the cost of the PBS has increased from $1 billion to over $4.5 billion in the past year, going up at a rate of 14 per cent per year. This is unsustainable and it cannot continue.

We are committed to Australians having subsidised access to medicines at an affordable price. Just the other day, we approved Glivec going onto the PBS. That costs $50,000 per person per year—about $4,000 per script. In the budget, amongst a range of other measures, we asked people to pay a small increase in the cost of their prescriptions to enable us to continue to fund drugs like statins and Glivec. We are asking everyone to make a contribution—the industry, pharmacists, doctors and consumers—to make the PBS more sustainable. (Time expired)