Does the U.S.-Australia FTA ban exports of pharmaceuticals from Australia?
No. Australian law, however, bans exports of pharmaceuticals if such drugs are purchased under Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Will the U.S.-Australia FTA raise the price of medicines in Australia? The Government of Australia retains the right and authority to set the prices of medicine under the PBS. The provisions of the pharmaceutical annex to the Agreement will help improve market access for pharmaceuticals in Australia by improving the transparency and accountability of Australia’s PBS system. Are any existing or future U.S. health care programs subject to the pharmaceutical provisions of the U.S.-Australia FTA? USTR has worked closely with all relevant U.S. agencies to ensure the FTA does not require any changes to U.S. health care programs. Procurement of pharmaceutical products by the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) is excluded from the Pharmaceutical Annex of the agreement, and U.S. agencies already comply with other provision
