September 05, 2023
Pharmac underfunding drives kiwis away
The chair of advocacy group Patient Voice Aotearoa says many people are only one diagnosis away from having to relocate to Australia because the medicines they need aren’t covered by our health system.
Malcolm Mullholland yesterday kicked off a roadshow highlighting shortfalls in the drug buying agency Pharmac.
“Australia funds PBAC, that’s their equivalent of PHARMAC, a hell of a lot better than what we fund Ppharmac here, and as a result patients get access to the medicines they so desperately need. That’s why we’re saying patients are only one diagnosis away from having to travel to Australia,” he says.
Mr Mullholland says it’s time our politicians give Pharmac – and the rest of the health system – the funding it needs.