PHUM Research

Our main research focus is to evaluate population health outcomes after a specific class of medicines has become an established and accepted treatment for specific diseases.

That is, PHUM systematically assesses whether the initial therapeutic goals of prescription medicines are achieved over the long term.

Importantly, we are not just looking for adverse effects of medicines as is done in the post-marketing surveillance phase of drug development. We will also be assessing the positive effects medicines have on the health of Australians, any unanticipated effects of prescription medicines that arise after they have been on the market for some time, and whether the benefits of prescription medicines outweigh the harms.

PHUM will also evaluate the benefits of non-drug approaches where appropriate as well as combined approaches to treatment.




Answering these questions will allow us to find out what health outcomes Australia “bought” with the current subsidising of medicines through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In other words - does the $5.6 billion Australia spends annually on medicines represent value for money?