The 'Dispatched' Podcast

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BioPharmaDispatch - discussing the issues impacting the Australian biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors with Paul Cross and Felicity McNeill.

  1. 2D AGO

    The Dispatched Podcast 'Week in Review' - 20 February

    Australia’s system for deciding whether new health technologies are funded is too focused on contested models and not enough on real people and their needs. The lack of human consideration leads to long delays, avoidable suffering, and sometimes deaths, in a process where patient voices are 'summarised' into oblivion while insiders talk around the problem instead of fixing it quickly, openly, and based on our shared values.

    55 min

  2. FEB 13

    The 'Dispatched' Week in Review'- 13 February

    Reflect on  Susan Ley’s legacy as a former health minister, especially the 2015 PBS Access and Sustainability Package. She was treated rudely and unfairly, and that meaningful ecosystem reform has since stalled. Critique Senate Estimates, noting that departmental witnesses were evasive and overly defensive, with patients largely absent from the conversation. The discussion expands to reform and the lack of patient rights. Also note the troubling political rhetoric about medical information and regulation. Close by teasing upcoming upgrades to the BPD website.

    53 min

  3. FEB 6

    The 'Dispatched' Week in Review - 6 February

    Mark Butler’s four 'pillars' on medicines policy and the argument that Australia prioritises low prices over preventing shortages and ensuring access. Do we need smarter, targeted incentives to address shortages that often reflect global challenges? Is there a risk of 'process creep' that actually slows access? Aged-care reforms that unintentionally removed funding for dose administration aids and glucose monitoring.

    55 min

  4. JAN 30

    The 'Dispatched' Podcast - Episode 2, Series 5

    The Government has announced an additional $25 billion for public hospitals over five years, representing close to two PBSs, while NDIS spending is still rising by $1 billion every few months. Can anyone seriously still argue that there is no new money available to invest in medicines?

    56 min

  5. JAN 23

    The 'Dispatched' Podcast - Episode 1, Series 5

    The 'Dispatched' Podcast

    1h 6m

  6. 12/12/2025

    The 'Dispatched' Week in Review Podcast - 12 December

    Not for the first time, some Australian politicians are in trouble over their use of very generous travel entitlements. We discuss why it matters for patients and why the claim that they are acting within the rules does not stack up.

    45 min

  7. 12/05/2025

    The 'Dispatched' Week in Review'- 5 December

    A turbulent round of Senate Estimates, highlighted by a heartbreaking exchange about a mother with two children battling Crohn’s disease. Officials suggested that the family seek compassionate access from companies or seek treatment at a public hospital. We also canvass ‘MFN’ pricing risks, FOI controversies, ministerial travel blowouts and looming budget pressures that do not operate according to what might be a common understanding.

    53 min

  8. 11/30/2025

    The 'Dispatched' Podcast - 30 November

    In this week’s Dispatched Podcast, we unpack the AI Health Summit and agree it revealed a gap between institutional caution and the real-world pace of its adoption. The practical reality of the proposed ban on genetic testing for life insurance, the self-limiting nature of Australia’s health reform processes, the status quo bias, and the absence of any genuine patient-centred purpose in current settings. We also discuss productivity, a critical roundtable, access inequities and the opportunity to broaden the discussion by not accepting the ‘framing’ of choices.

    1h 3m
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About

BioPharmaDispatch - discussing the issues impacting the Australian biopharmaceutical and life sciences sectors with Paul Cross and Felicity McNeill.

Information

  • Creator
    Daily Dispatch
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    175
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The 'Dispatched' Podcast
  • Show Website
    The 'Dispatched' Podcast

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