By Melissa Blewitt

Condobolin residents living with moderate to severe eczema will have access to a new subsidised treatment from 1 October, following its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Tacrolimus 0.1 per cent ointment, marketed as aZematop, will be available on the PBS for eligible people aged 16 and over with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema.
The Federal Government expects more than 143,000 Australians to benefit from the listing each year.
Without the PBS subsidy, the treatment could cost patients more than $54 per prescription.
Eczema is a chronic skin condition that can cause dry, itchy, painful and inflamed skin. Symptoms can flare and settle over time and can have a significant impact on quality of life.
For Condobolin residents living with eczema, the PBS listing provides another subsidised treatment option. General medical services are available through local providers, with specialist care also available through the broader Western NSW Local Health District network.
The new treatment will be available to eligible patients who meet the PBS requirements.
Federal Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler said the listing would improve access to affordable treatment for people living with the condition.
“I have heard from people who live with this chronic skin condition and I know how painful and debilitating it can be,” he revealed.
“This listing of aZematop will give more than one hundred thousand Australians access to an affordable treatment on the PBS.”
The Government has also announced that new pre-filled pen forms of omalizumab, marketed as Omlyclo, will be available through the PBS from October 1 for eligible Australians with severe asthma or hives.
More than 5,700 Australians are expected to benefit from the new formulation, which could otherwise cost more than $450 per prescription.
Eligible patients will pay a maximum of $25 per PBS prescription, or $7.70 for concession card holders, subject to the usual PBS eligibility requirements.
The Government says it has approved funding for 497 new and amended PBS listings since July 2022.