Source: Radio New Zealand
Cystic Fibrosis NZ
Pharmac has announced it will fund cystic fibrosis medicines Trikafta and Alyftrek for children of all ages from Wednesday.
It’s currently only funded for those aged six and older.
Pharmac consulted on the change in January, and feedback was positive.
Parents told RNZ the drug would be life-changing, and could potentially double some children’s life expectancy.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour, announcing the change on Tuesday, said doctors would use their clinical judgement to prescribe these medicines to any patient who would benefit.
He said parents of children under six would no longer have to choose between delaying treatment until their child was old enough, paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for treatment, or moving overseas.
“Cystic fibrosis can cause harm very early in life, so waiting to meet age-based eligibility criteria is not an option,” Seymour said.
“We’re making the system work better for the people it serves. When people can access their medicines easily, they stay healthier for longer. It also reduces pressure on other parts of the health system.”
The changes in a nutshell, starting 1 April
- Widen funded access to Trikafta for all children with eligible diagnosis (currently only funded for children six years and older)
- Widen funded access to Kalydeco for everyone with eligible diagnosis
- Fund access to a new treatment, Alyftrek
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
