Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Thirty-six Medicines Added To Pharmac’s Waiting List As New Zealand’s Medicines Crisis Worsens

Pharmac has just released its Options for Investment (OFI) list, which includes 36 new medicines since it was updated in July 2021. The OFI includes all medicines that Pharmac would fund if its budget allowed.

“We have known for years that there is a medicine crisis in New Zealand” says Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair, Malcolm Mulholland. “The addition of a whopping 36 medicines to Pharmac’s painfully long medicines waitlist in less than a year shows that the crisis has significantly worsened.”

The updated OFI includes 128 applications that cover 78 medicines and vaccines. The oldest funding application is for the EpiPen, which was first applied for twenty-five years ago. The average waiting time for medicines on Pharmac’s list is five years.

Patient Voice Aotearoa has repeatedly called for a doubling of Pharmac’s budget and in April last year, Pharmac estimated the cost to clear the waiting list at approximately $400 million per annum. The Government committed just $50m extra per year in budget 2021 to Pharmac funding.

“Repeated claims by the Government that it has increased Pharmac’s budget by 25% are misleading” says Mulholland. “In 2018/2019 Pharmac was charged with responsibility for purchasing hospital medicines and $130 million that previously sat with DHBs was transferred to Pharmac to fund existing hospital medicines. That is not new investment. It is simply a transfer of budget that has no impact on Pharmac’s ability to fund its medicines waiting list.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“As the current Minister of Health stated when the Government announced a review of Pharmac, Pharmac funding is a political decision. By starving Pharmac of funding, this Government is consciously consigning vulnerable New Zealanders to needless suffering and death.”

“This crisis stands in stark contrast to the Government’s handling of medicines needed to treat Covid-19. A suite of Covid-19 treatments were purchased in a matter of months. The difference between the Covid-19 medicine fund and Pharmac’s normal operating budget is that the Government has provided an open cheque book to deal with the pandemic. Adding insult to injury for patients waiting for medicines to be funded is that for some, the medicines they are waiting on add another layer of protection against Covid-19.”

“This Government must act and clear Pharmac’s Options for Investment list immediately. This is why we called the Government to include Pharmac’s budget within the terms of reference of the Pharmac Review. Further, we invite comment from each political party as to their commitment to funding Pharmac adequately and putting an end to Pharmac’s waiting list.”

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.