After years spent searching for remedies, Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) sufferer Chloe Morgan was recently prescribed a drug called GLP-1. <\/p>\n
Commonly sold under the brand names Ozempic<\/a> and Mounjaro, GLP-1s are prescription medications that mimic a natural gut hormone to lower blood sugar, slow digestion and reduce appetite.<\/p>\n While still early in her journey with the medication, she said she finally feels hopeful her condition is being adequately treated.<\/p>\n It\u2019s why she says the medication should be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).<\/p>\n \u201cGLP-1s may genuinely be the first treatment that has meaningfully helped thousands of women address their underlying endocrine and metabolic issues, yet so many women with PMOS cannot access them because of cost,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cFor those with PMOS, this isn\u2019t medication for cosmetic purposes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t laziness, or a lack of discipline. It\u2019s a complex medical condition that impacts every part of our lives.<\/p>\n \u201cMy food noise has reduced, my energy, fatigue and mental health is improving, my desire to exercise is returning.\u201d<\/p>\n As for whether they were effective in the treatment of PMOS, Tasmanian women\u2019s GP Catherine Moult said while there was emerging evidence showing they can help with some insulin and weight-related symptoms, they were not appropriate for everyone. <\/p>\n \u201cTreatment needs to be individualised as part of a whole-person management plan,\u201d Dr Moult said.<\/p>\n Feds knock-back PBS push<\/p>\n The call to list the medication on the PBS is among the strategies being pursued by people seeking to address the historical shortfalls in the treatment of PMOS.<\/p>\n Federal Assistant Health Minister Rebecca White acknowledged that while many women living with the condition were looking for affordable treatment options, there were currently no plans to list GLP-1 medications for its treatment on the PBS.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Australia, any medicine listed on the PBS must go through an independent assessment process to ensure it is safe, effective and represents value for patients,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this stage, GLP-1 medicines are not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of PMOS and no application has been received by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee for this specific use.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the government had been particularly focused on women\u2019s health, pointing to a $39.9m investment in the establishment of 33 endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics nationwide.<\/p>\n In Tasmania, there is one open in Glenorchy, delivered by Family Planning Tasmania.<\/p>\n \u201cThese clinics provide expert, multidisciplinary care for women close to home and are helping women get the support, answers and treatment they need and deserve for complex conditions that can cause pelvic pain, including PMOS,\u201d Ms White said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to work with experts, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies to support better access to safe, effective and affordable treatments for Australian women.\u201d<\/p>\n Counting the cost of \u2018doing nothing\u2019<\/p>\n Ms Morgan warned women were continuing to bear the physical, emotional and financial burden of inaction on women\u2019s health issues.<\/p>\n This was particularly true in Tasmania, where access to women\u2019s health services has historically been more limited.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the cost of doing nothing? What is the cost of untreated insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnoea, mental health conditions, and lifelong chronic illness because these are the risks I face having PMOS?,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cHow many thousands of dollars are people already spending desperately trying to survive this condition rather than treating it?\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Moult said alongside consideration of these changes, the key issue remained investment in women\u2019s health research.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many things in medicine we just don\u2019t know about in terms of women\u2019s health,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThat investment, and that research is long overdue, and women deserve better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Life changing\u2019: The words that ended a 20-year mystery<\/p>\n Getting her period aged 12 kicked off a collection of seemingly unexplained symptoms that for years, took over Chloe Morgan\u2019s life. <\/p>\n Her periods were infrequent, but when she did get them they were painful and heavy.<\/p>\n Coupled with this were gastrointestinal issues, mood swings, rapid weight gain and mental health issues.<\/p>\n And despite repeated attempts, her questions to doctors went unanswered.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time I was 29 the symptoms had become overwhelming,\u201d Ms Morgan said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was constantly at doctors\u2019 appointments asking what was wrong with me.<\/p>\n \u201cCould it be fibromyalgia? Was it chronic fatigue? Why couldn\u2019t I lose weight?\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Morgan was in her 30s by the time she received an answer.<\/p>\n