The Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand (PCFNZ) is backing a nationwide campaign aimed at exposing what it says is a growing medicines access crisis, with hundreds of treatments available overseas still out of reach for New Zealand patients.
The Foundation has joined The Forbidden Pharmacy, a public awareness installation supported by 17 patient organisations, to highlight the human impact of limited access to modern medicines and encourage greater investment in New Zealand’s pharmaceutical system.
According to the campaign, New Zealand ranks last among comparable OECD countries for publicly funded access to new medicines. Over the past decade, just 24 of the 477 medicines launched globally have received public funding in New Zealand.
For men living with advanced prostate cancer, one of the most significant gaps is abiraterone acetate (Zytiga), a treatment widely funded in countries including Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada but still unavailable through public funding in New Zealand.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation says prostate cancer remains New Zealand’s most commonly diagnosed cancer and one of the country’s leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Despite this, it says it has been more than a decade since a new medicine for prostate cancer treatment was publicly funded, leaving New Zealand well behind comparable healthcare systems.
The Foundation says many patients face difficult choices when treatments recommended by their specialists are only available privately. Abiraterone acetate can cost patients around $1,500 a month if paid for out of pocket, while Australian patients can access the medicine for a heavily subsidised prescription cost.
The campaign also features the experiences of New Zealanders living with serious illnesses whose effective medicines remain unfunded despite being routinely available overseas. Among them is prostate cancer patient representative Bart Schroder, who currently receives abiraterone through private insurance, highlighting the inequity faced by those without similar financial support.
PCFNZ says the campaign is not calling for politicians to direct Pharmac’s individual funding decisions. Instead, it is urging greater overall investment in medicines so that Pharmac has the resources to fund more proven treatments.
The Foundation argues the issue is no longer whether these medicines are effective, but whether New Zealand is prepared to invest in making them available. It says behind every unfunded medicine is a patient, a whānau and a family hoping for more quality time together.
PCFNZ is encouraging healthcare professionals, policymakers and the wider public to visit The Forbidden Pharmacy to better understand the realities facing New Zealanders living with prostate cancer and other serious health conditions.
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