GBMA Education has begun its 2018-19 grant activities since being awarded the Biosimilar Education Grant in April this year. Over a three-year period, the initiative is aimed at delivering a biosimilar education program to healthcare professionals and consumers.
“Having engaged with representatives from the Department of Health, medical, pharmacy, industry and consumer representative bodies, I look forward to the many opportunities GBMA Education will have to advance the discussion about biosimilars in Australian healthcare under the grant activities,” GBMA Education’s newly appointed Grant Project Manager Renee Richardson said.
“We look forward to continued collaboration and welcoming more representative bodies on board in the next steps of our education journey.”
GBMA will continue to engage stakeholder groups and healthcare experts in the development of core messages, coupled with a nationwide, multichannel educational program. Live meetings, proactive communication and conversations within the medical literature will be used to raise awareness of biosimilars, explore the science and evidence that underpin their use and understand their role in a sustainable healthcare system.
Periodic market research will be scheduled throughout the life of the grant to measure the effectiveness of the program initiatives. This will enable GBMA to assess both the level of awareness and education among core groups and to incorporate lessons into future activities.
Also on the agenda is a national awareness week for biosimilars, a new event in the Australian healthcare calendar that GBMA CEO Marnie Peterson believes will ignite public interest and bring biosimilars into the spotlight.
“With further details to be shared in the coming months, we are pleased to announce that an awareness week for biosimilars will debut in the first quarter of 2019 as a national conversation around biosimilar education and the impact of their use on our nation’s healthcare system,” she said. “This week will aim to encourage more healthcare professionals and consumers to add their voice to the conversation and help draw attention to this important component of Australia’s healthcare framework.”
