The continued lack of access to new hepatitis C treatments in Australia is "simply unacceptable".

 In a joint statement with state and territory hepatitis organisations, Hepatitis Australia expressed sincere support for the thousands of Australians desperate to access the new hepatitis C treatments already available in other countries.

The statement deplored the lack of access to the ground-breaking treatments and urged people to tell their stories on ‘Speak Out’ as part of ongoing efforts to secure PBS listing for the medicines for all Australians.

"This is the most effective and equitable way for all Australians to access new medicines at an affordable price," the statement said.

"We continue to call on the Australian Government and the pharmaceutical companies to make affordable access a reality as soon as possible."

The statement discusses possible no-cost and user-pays options for people seeking treatment while waiting for the new medicines to be made available on the PBS. These options include:

• Clinical trials (no cost) Information about clinical trials can be accessed through your treating doctor or the Australian Clinical Trials website
• Compassionate or early access programs. (no cost) Limited compassionate and/or early access programs are usually provided by pharmaceutical companies prior to the PBS listing.
• Personal importation of generic hepatitis C medicines. (significant cost) The sourcing of generic medicines from overseas.
• Private script. (very high cost) Doctors can prescribe the medicines for purchase in Australia but this requires full payment for the medicines by the person seeking treatment.