$80m more for meds

20 May 2010

Funding for medicines will increase by $80m over the next four years, with $40m of this coming out of DHBs’ budgets and an extra $40m from the government.

The amount appears to be a drop in the bucket, but the Researched Medicines Industry Association says the allocation is particularly significant given the current fiscal environment.

“There is a significant gap developing between the medicines funded in New Zealand and other countries, such as Australia, affecting access to medicines for New Zealanders and increasing pressure on other services,” chief executive Denise Wood says.

Pharmacy Guild chief executive Annabel Young says additional funding for medicines is bound to increase the number available for dispensing, and thereby increase dispensing costs. She wonders if the DHBs will take out that cost from the above money.

Ms Wood says the funding should be prioritised to fund those medicines that have been given a high priority, but have not been funded to date because of budgetary constraints. Perhaps it can also be used to remove some of the restrictions on access that currently exist.

She says spending on medicines should be considered an investment in the health of the population and a wise use of health dollars.

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