Digital Health Association Excited By Government Announcement

The roll-out of a new electronic controlled drug register for pharmacies is great news for New Zealand’s struggling digital health technologies sector, the Digital Health Association says.

“It shows the Government finally appreciates the importance of digital health technologies, and, hopefully, it marks a reversal of the clamp-down on digital technologies’ funding that started in Budget 2024 with over $380 million stripped from Health NZ’s data and digital budget,” chair, Tony Wai, said.

Commenting on the roll-out of the register, Associate Health Minister, David Seymour, said he was “excited to see New Zealand embrace innovative technology like this …”

“We’re excited to see the Government get excited about digital health technologies, and start investing in them again,” Wai said. “It’s long overdue.”

Wai said reinvesting in digital health technologies will deliver tangible benefits to the whole health system—cost reductions, system efficiencies, and better patient outcomes.

"We have world-leading digital health innovators in New Zealand ready to work with the Government to create solutions that will future-proof our health system. But without long-term investment, we risk more stop-start efforts that don’t deliver the transformation we need."

The announcement about the electronic controlled drug register follows the release earlier this month of the Government’s five health priorities.

One of those priorities, set by Health Minister, Simeon Brown, was the need to invest “in health infrastructure, both physical and digital, so that we are building for the future.”

“Maybe we have turned a corner and digital health technologies are back on the Government’s agenda.

“If so, the health workforce and every patient in New Zealand should be very grateful and very excited,” Wai said.

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