Hi Duncan

MBS data goes back to 1984 while PBS to 2002. PBS data is incomplete up to 2012 as it didn't include drugs below co-payment ie there was no claim.

MBS will probably be of little value as it doesn't generally contain any diagnostic information.

Most of these data are held by AIHW these days, DHS doesn't retain historical data beyond a few years.

R

Chris Gianacas wrote:

Hi Duncan,

My experience - a few years old but still current I think - is that direct access to the general PBS/MBS datasets for secondary use research is effectively impossible. One way around is to go via 45-and-up, as they have individual consent and many other datasets in addition to PBS/MBS all already linked, but this comes at a cost. Not sure where the MHR secondary use framework is at but that may be worth considering too. 

Best of luck! 

Hi Chris

Thanks for your comments. I am still trying with great frustration just to get my whole PBS/MBS history through official channels

I have made remarkable progress with the help of one remarkably efficient pharmacist (and database) and a few very helpful GPs delving into ancient records. That's those who haven't retired or closed down completely. A couple of full hospital records have helped too. A few practices have closed or deleted everything - EDIT just remembered an interesting aside in case people think I forget which forum we are in. You are doing historical longitudinal research when information attached to items may have changed over time - if your database just has current information attached to historical records it effects possible analysis too. You need to source that changed information elsewhere. At least it appears that the pharmacies are up to date though :)

I have serious concerns about the status of said data. 

If, as I hypothesise, there are such serious issues with (alleged - doing my own legals too, but try getting a legal practice interested) historical human rights abuses indirectly caused by medications and mistreatments, there are very important legal reasons for people individually and collectively to get prompt access to their complete medical histories

Unless people can get extensions on limitations every week or month's delay accessing important evidence is problematic

If anyone in the PBS/MBS data area can shed any light on the status of said data I would be very grateful

Time is of the essence, as they say

But of course, as I hinted, even if all that data were available at a population level it would be a seriously resource intensive analysis

I have some vague memories of the requirements of such analyses. Human and computational

The considerable evidence may remain circumstantial and anecdotal it appears :)

Dear Fellow Society Members, Industry Colleagues, and Friends

I have been involved in mental health advocacy and some research for many years now (even decades depending how far back I go)

A few years ago I made a vey concerning discovery about certain major areas of mental health care globally - specific evidence related to my case - but there is considerable evidence - research and otherwise - to back it up. Sorry I cannot be too specific at the moment but it involves the link between prescribed medications and possible misdiagnosis of serious mental health disorders - over many decades or even generations.  This could in turn can lead to a lifetime of mistreatment, and major costs and risks to society as a whole.

I have been requesting assistance from many avenues. Political and professional, even legal. However despite some useful information from practitioners who have been very helpful; at the political, legal and administrative level I am meeting great inertia and even resistance. A failure to take a very serious issue seriously perhaps

My immediate query relates to the availability of personal (in my case), but obviously at a population level of PBS and MBS records going back as far as possible - eg lifetime history

I have tried many channels to access information. This would be extremely useful in proving or testing hypotheses at a personal and population level. Unfortunately my administrative and political requests appear to be getting nowhere. Getting legal advice is also a major problem

I am aware of various studies who do such research. I can contact them personally. But this is a broader request for interest and assistance, eve conversation on such a serious global issue

The most immediate assistance would be if anyone knows what  the status is of administrative PBS and MBS records. Practitioners have assisted me as far as they can.  Of course I realise that any longitudinal population level study over many decades requires complete confidentiality, data linking at an individual level and would have a fairly substantial analytical resources cost

Many thanks in advance

Happy New Year

Regards

Duncan