Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Certain medications listed on the PBS are available only for specific therapeutic indications or to patients meeting specific criteria where the PBAC has deemed that the cost-benefit analysis is favourable only in those indications/patients. These are noted as "restricted benefits" on the Schedule. Medicare Australia places the onus of policing restricted benefits on the prescribers themselves and the pharmacists dispensing (unless the listing is also 'Authority Required'). For example, the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib is listed on the PBS as a restricted benefit for the symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Prescribers using celecoxib for other indications are expected to indicate "non-PBS" on the prescription, and/or the pharmacist dispensing the celecoxib should charge the patient the full cost.
Actinic keratosis
Topical retinoids have been studied in the treatment of AK with modest results, and the American Academy of Dermatology does not currently recommend this as a first-line therapy. Treatment with adapalene gel daily for 4 weeks, and then twice daily thereafter for a total of nine months led to a significant but modest reduction in the number AKs compared to placebo; it demonstrated the additional advantage of improving the appearance of photodamaged skin. Topical tretinoin is ineffective as treatment for reducing the number of AKs. For secondary prevention of AK, systemic, low dose acitretin was found to be safe, well-tolerated and moderately effective in chemoprophylaxis for skin cancers in kidney transplant patients. Acitretin is a viable treatment option for organ transplant patients according to expert opinion.