From RNZ · RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa · · 1m
Advocate wants longer-term plan for medicines funding
National pledges $604m for medicines but advocate calls for sustainable funding plan.
In brief
National pledges $604m for medicines but advocate calls for sustainable funding plan. Advocate group urges National to create long-term funding strategy for medicines after current pledge falls short of OECD standards. Originally reported by RNZ.
National's medicine pledge
National promises $604 million for Pharmac to fund new medicines if re-elected.
Blood cancer commitment
National promised free life-prolonging drugs for blood cancer patients in 2023 election.
Funding gap remains
Pharmac's recommended list requires $800m over four years but National's pledge falls short.
OECD comparison
New Zealand spends 4.9 percent of health budget on medicines versus OECD average of 13.3 percent.
Patient impact
82 percent of New Zealanders think funding medicines is critically important to their health.
Future plan
ACT pledges to increase health budget share for medicines by 1 percentage point yearly to reach Australia's level by 2033.
The one thing
Advocate group urges National to create long-term funding strategy for medicines after current pledge falls short of OECD standards.
