Record access to pharmaceuticals

Health Minister Tony Ryall says despite tight times, spending on pharmaceuticals increased by $180 million over the last three years.

“This is a significant investment giving more New Zealanders access to subsidised medicines.

“Last calendar year, over 3 million New Zealanders were prescribed and dispensed a record 40.3 million subsidised prescriptions. A 16% increase from the 34.8 million prescriptions in 2008.

“The additional funding has not only resulted in more people having access to currently subsidised medications, 67 new medications are now also available.

“People with advanced kidney cancer and advanced lung cancer are benefiting from new-generation cancer medicines, sunitinib and erlotinib, which are in a pill form they can take at home.

“Another new medication, donepezil, is the first funded medicine for Alzheimer’s Disease and was prescribed to 3,600 New Zealanders in the last financial year.

This $180 million medicines investment is part of the extra $1.5 billion the Government has invested into the public health service over its first term.