24 July 2025
Brendon Mil s
Via email:
fyirequest31692[email address]
Tēnā koe Brendon
Request for information: prioritisation of medicines
Thank you for your request dated 22 July 2025 under the Official Information Act 1982 (the
Act) for information relating to prioritisation of medicines. You requested:
Is there an agenda to prioitise drugs for wealthy cancer patients above drugs for
poorer people with more chronic health issues?
Pharmac’s role is to ensure that New Zealanders have access to the best possible health
outcomes from publicly funded medicines, within the budget available.
Fol owing a significant budget increase in 2024, Pharmac has been able to fund a wide range
of medicines including 33 cancer treatments and 33 noncancer treatments. This covers a
wide range of conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and eczema. You
can read more about this at:
www.pharmac.govt.nz/medicinefundingandsupply/fundingcancermedicines
The decision to fund a medicine is based on rigorous assessment using Pharmac’s Factors
for Consideration. There are four factors which cover:
1.
Need – how significant the health need is for the person, their whānau and the wider
health system. This includes consideration of health disparities, particularly for groups
experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.
2.
Health benefits – the potential health gains from the medicine, including
improvements in quality of life and life expectancy.
3. Costs and savings – the cost of the medicine and any savings or costs it may
generate elsewhere in the health system.
4. Suitability – how appropriate and practical the treatment is for the people who wil
use it, including ease of use and cultural acceptability.
Pharmac continues to consult widely with clinicians, advocacy groups and the public to
ensure our decisions reflect the needs of New Zealanders.
Further information on our factors for consideration are available via the fol owing link:
https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/medicinefundingandsupply/thefundingprocess/policies
manualsandprocesses/factorsforconsideration
202525023
We trust that this information answers your queries. Please note, you have the right to make
a complaint to the Ombudsman about our response to your OIA, under section 28(3) of the
OIA. Details of
how to make a complaint are on the Ombudsman’s website.
To make information more freely available, we publish selected OIA responses (excluding
personal details) on our website. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about
this.
Nāku noa, nā
Oliver Whitehead
Team Leader, Government Services
202526023
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