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October 06, 2023
Candidates quizzed on Pharmac funding hole
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On October 6, 2023
Patient Voice Aotearoa says the next Government will have to increase Pharmac’s funding to make up for shortfalls going back to John Key’s National Government.
The advocacy group finished its My Life Matters Roadshow on Wednesday with a political debate in Auckland.
Spokesperson Malcolm Mulholland says both Labour’s Ayesha Verrall and National’s Shane Reti admitted the agency didn’t have enough to buy all the medicines for current and future needs.
“So unless, whoever it’s Labour or National the incoming government give Pharmac an additional $181 million annually, PHARMAC are going to have a hole of that size, and are going to have to cut back the number of medicines that they fund. It was assuring to hear that both were committed to filling that hole so at least we can maintain the level of funding that Pharmac currently receive,” he says.
Malcolm Mulholland says ACT was the only party which would not commit to increased Pharmac funding.
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