“Pharmaceutical funding was totally absent from today’s health review, and that’s about where it is in this Government’s priorities,” according to ACT Health spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

“The Government will, of course, point to the Pharmac review announced earlier this year. The fact that review explicitly excludes funding considerations and is taking place in cold isolation from health reforms shows how disingenuous this Government’s approach to pharmaceuticals really is.

“Pharmaceuticals are developing rapidly, and have the potential to save the rest of the system big dollars. For example, funding Stelara could save multiple operations to remove Crohn’s suffers’ intestines. It makes no sense to consider healthcare and pharmaceutical funding separately.

“The big opportunity today was to start considering pharmaceutical and healthcare funding as one so that new advances in pharmaceuticals can be used to save money and improve people’s lives. Instead, pharmaceutical funding stays in the naughty corner, isolated from the rest of the system in its own funding-proof review.

“ACT would implement a full review of Pharmac that includes funding. It is a shame the Government missed that opportunity today.”

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