JO CAMERON
Jo Cameron is Director, Research and Product Review, National Blood Authority
At the Australian Bleeding Disorders Conference in 2025, Jo Cameron from the National Blood Authority spoke about the role of the NBA in relation to product funding, Horizon Scanning and MyABDR. We invited Jo to write an article from her presentation for people who weren’t able to make the Conference.
The National Blood Authority (NBA) is a statutory agency established by the National Blood Authority Act 2003 (Cth). We manage and coordinate arrangements for the supply of blood, blood products and blood services in Australia. Under the national blood arrangements, our role is to deliver an uninterrupted supply of blood and blood products to Australians in need. These products and services are funded by the Australian and State and Territory governments, so that they may be provided at no direct cost to patients.
Our work:
We collaborate with suppliers and stakeholders across the blood sector. The National Blood Authority works closely with, and provides some funding for, Haemophilia Foundation Australia (HFA) and the Australian Haemophilia Centre Directors’ Organisation (AHCDO) to ensure people with bleeding disorders can get the best possible treatment to suit their needs.
The National Blood Arrangements cover a range of products including fresh products such as red blood cells, platelets and plasma, as well as many products that are manufactured from blood or are used instead of products made from blood such as recombinant clotting factors, plasma-derived products, immunoglobulins, and albumin, to name a few. A complete list of products funded under the National Blood Arrangements can be found on the National Product Price List.
There are several pathways that can be used for the introduction of new products proposed for government funding. These include the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS), the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) and the National Blood Arrangements, managed by the National Blood Authority (NBA).
Changes and additions to the products available under the national blood arrangements are subject to an approval process. The NBA uses a multi-criteria analysis framework to assess any proposed changes to publicly funded products or services. We may also refer proposed changes to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) for further assessment.
Any changes or additions to publicly funded products or services can be proposed by:
Those proposing changes or additions will need to provide evidence to support the proposal. This includes an evidence-based evaluation of the product or service.
Because there are many steps in the assessment process, it can take up to a couple of years for a new product to be approved for funding. The NBA works hard to ensure this process is as efficient as possible.
The NBA also manages the Australian Bleeding Disorders Registry (ABDR) and the MyABDR applications.
The Australian Bleeding Disorders Registry (ABDR) is a database used to collect information on bleeding disorders. It includes information like patient diagnosis, treatment details, hospital admissions and administrative information, details on ordering, supply and use of clotting factor products. Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) staff use the ABDR to manage how they treat bleeding disorders in patients and understand bleeding disorders and their rates in Australia.
The MyABDR app is a free and secure way for patients or carers to record information in the ABDR. Through MyABDR patients or carers can record information about treatments and bleeds, manage stock, view treatment plans and share information with HTCs to assist them to care for people with bleeding disorders.
Recording information in the ABDR and MyABDR supports staff in HTCs to manage treatment and care more comprehensively. It also supports governments to be able to manage Australia’s supply of critical products used to treat bleeding disorders, and to learn about bleeding disorders to be able to improve future treatment and care for all people with bleeding disorders.
Maintaining patient privacy and appropriate confidentiality is a top priority to us and strict security rules are in place to guarantee patient privacy is maintained at all times. Only authorised staff from your HTC, the NBA and AHCDO can directly access patient data. Information is kept on the ABDR database which is physically located in a secure data centre in Australia. These procedures protect the information from misuse, unauthorised access, interference, alteration, loss and/or disclosure.
For more information, visit the NBA website – www.blood.gov.au.
Sign up for the latest news, events and our free National Haemophilia magazine