Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Health Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown are pleased that hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders are set to benefit from access to more than 60 medicines, following the Government’s funding boost to Pharmac.
The funding boost of $604 million over four years has allowed Pharmac to fund or widen access to 59 medicines so far, with five more being considered for funding as of today.
By comparison, in the financial year immediately prior to receiving the funding boost from this government, Pharmac was able to fund or widen access to 28 treatments.
“Pharmac’s consultation for asthma inhalers, released today, represents the final consultation related to last year’s funding increase,” Mr Seymour says.
“If the proposal to widen access is approved, it will mean over 200,000 New Zealanders in total will have benefitted from the additional medicines funded using the Government’s budget boost.
“When this Government assumed office, New Zealanders were facing an uncertain future for medicine access. Pharmac had a $1.8 billion funding hole and no new money to increase access for medicines.
“It was a priority for this government to fix that. We’ve allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, so that it can get on and do its job – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders.
“For example, Pharmac opened consultation on a proposal to widen access to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for five types of cancer within days of the funding boost being announced. Just over three months later, people with these conditions could start their new treatments.
“In my letter of expectations to Pharmac last July I asked it to ensure that its decision making and evaluation model includes the wider fiscal impact of funding or not funding a medicine. While Budget 2025 is still under consideration, I have confidence in Pharmac’s ability to increase medicines access for Kiwis with the budget provided to them.”
Mr Brown says delivering better and faster access to cancer care in New Zealand has been a focus of this Government, which is why it is one of our five key health targets, and is able to deliver because of the Government’s $604 million investment in new cancer medicines.
“As Minister of Health, I am focused on ensuring better access to more cancer medicines, better cancer management driven by our faster cancer treatment target, and earlier detection of cancers through screening programmes,” Mr Brown says.
“Some of these medicines, such as Keytruda, have been described as ‘game-changers.’ Other medicines, such as the heart medicine empagliflozin, will help keep people with chronic heart failure out of hospital, relieving pressure on the health system.
“It is encouraging to see continued improvement in our efforts to provide faster cancer treatment, with more patients receiving their first treatment within 31 days in the first financial quarter than in the previous quarter and more cancer treatments available.”
While the consultation released today is the last related to the Government’s funding boost, Pharmac will continue to assess applications to fund new medicines and make more medicines available to New Zealanders as budget allows.
Note to editors: Medicines have been funded for conditions including breast cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, schizophrenia, heart failure, psoriasis, diabetes, eczema, and osteoporosis. A full list can be found on Pharmac’s website.
