-Caveat Lector- ********* From: "geert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: LaTrobe pharmaceutical web site shutdown >From: "Danny Yee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 11:09 AM >Subject: [LINK] LaTrobe pharmaceutical web site shutdown > > > Lecturer charged over uni website > > AN academic website protesting against Federal Health Minister > > Michael Wooldridge's allegedly close relationship with the > > pharmaceutical industry has been shut down by La Trobe University. > > > > http://australianit.news.com.au/common/storyPage/0,3811,2304103%5E442,00.htm l > > http://users.bigpond.net.au/Medreach/ > > That bigpond URL has gone, but try > http://www.google.com/search?q=%22minister+for+pfizer%22 > and the cache of the first result from that. > > This isn't an academic wacko on some esoteric crusade. This is part > of a serious site (the Health Equity Coalition, apparently a joint > venture between LaTrobe RMIT and Monash staff) providing really > important information, and I can't see how shutting the entire site > down (rather than asking for allegedly libellous wording to be changed) > could possibly be justified. > > If this has happened as a result of Federal government intervention, > heads should roll. The NTEU should FOI LaTrobe pronto. > > Some excerpts from the site follow. (I hope this doesn't get you > into trouble over the web archives, Tony, but I really can't see how > referring to Wooldridge as "Minister for Pfizer" can be actionable.) > > >From the page that used to be at > http://www-sph.health.latrobe.edu.au/PBAC/ > | This site collates published and unpublished material about the > | Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), initially stimulated > | by the controversy over changes to the membership of its Pharmaceutical > | Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). The aim was to explore the claim > | that these changes represent a hijack of the PBAC by the multinational > | pharmaceutical industry, aided and abetted by the current Federal > | Health Minister: Dr. Michael Wooldridge (Minister for Pfizer). > | > | Subsequently, we have added material about the unsustainable growth of > | the PBS (14%-16% per annum) costing the Australian taxpayer A$3.45 > | billion in 1999/2000). > | > | In addition, we collect material about relevant international policy > | aimed at improving equity of access to necessary drugs. > | > | We trust this resource will assist an informed public policy debate > | about the PBS and related pharmaceutical policy matters. Many thanks to > | the numerous colleagues who have submitted material to help this > | process. Please keep it coming. > > And from the page that used to be at > http://www-sph.health.latrobe.edu.au/HEC/pharmaceuticals.htm > > | Background > | > | This section of the site collates published and unpublished material > | about the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), especially > | the current controversy over changes to the membership of its > | Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). > | > | It does not pretend to do justice to the media coverage, which has > | been extensive. > | > | The aim is to explore the claim that these changes represent a hijack > | of the PBAC by the multinational pharmaceutical industry, aided and > | abetted by the current Federal Health Minister: Dr. Michael Wooldridge > | (Minister for Pfizer). > | > | We trust this resource will assist an informed public policy debate > | about this matter. Many thanks to the numerous colleagues who have > | submitted material to help this process. Please keep it coming. > | > | Resource material > | > | > | The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Background Paper > | > | ABC-TV & Radio Coverage > | > | Articles in medical and lay press > | > | Letters to the press, listservers, this forum, etc. > | > | Organisation positions > | > | Other material (on AIDS drug availability, patents, the pharmaceutical > | industry, TRIPS, WTO, NGOs and essential drugs) > | > | Pharmaceutical policy documents and suggestions (Government and other sites) > | > | Cartoons > | > | > | Educational Material for Download > | > | > | Consumer &/or Patient PBS Primer leaflet (MS WORD DOC, 28K) > | > | Consumer &/or Patient PBS Question & Answer leaflet (MS WORD DOC, 30K) > | > | Letter for physicians &/or pharmacists to give to drug reps (MS WORD DOC, 22K) > | > | > | There is concern that these changes to the PBAC will result in > | more costly drugs (with more marginal benefits) being added to > | the PBS. This, in turn, will lead to a PBS cost blow-out which the > | government will then pass on to consumers via higher co-payments or > | other strategies. The end result will be that poorer Australians will > | no longer have access to necessary drugs. > > Danny. > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > http://dannyreviews.com/ - more than five hundred book reviews > http://www.caa.org.au/ - working for an end to poverty > http://danny.oz.au/ - free speech, free software, travel, gamelan, ... > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. 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