Wider Choice for NZ Asthma Patients
Increasing the choice of funded treatments for children and adults with asthma is to be commended, Medicines New Zealand
General Manager Kevin Sheehy says.
This week PHARMAC announced that an additional choice in asthma treatments will be funded for adults and children.
“Providing another funded option for treating pre-school wheeze and exercise induced asthma attacks will have direct and
measurable benefits to patients, through decreased hospital admissions and an increased ability to participate in
sporting activities,” Mr Sheehy says.
Each year, PHARMAC estimates that up to 7500 children and up to 2000 children and adults with exercise-induced asthma
will benefit from the new treatment option.
“We fully support the decision to provide better access to innovative treatments and give patients and doctors a wider
range of treatments to improve health,” Mr Sheehy says.
“However, New Zealand patients who could have benefitted from this medicine over the last twelve years have had to fund
it themselves, or go without.
“Given the high prevalence of asthma in New Zealand, a great many patients could have benefited from its use had this
treatment been fully funded before now.”
ENDS