January 15, 2013
MEDIA RELEASE
Kiwis warned GP burden cannot be sustained - $126m a year could be saved
New Zealanders may soon have to treat themselves for minor ailments instead of seeing their GP if they do not want to
raid their superannuation savings to fund soaring medical bills in the future.
The New Zealand Self Medication Industry Association (SMI) suggests up to $126 million a year may be wasted in New
Zealand on unnecessary trips to the GP for minor ailments such as dandruff, constipation, travel sickness and colds.
“Based upon recent trends in Britain, Australia and United States one in five GP visits in this country may be
unnecessary and costing the taxpayer millions in health dollars. Clearly, with our ageing population, this is
unsustainable,” comments SMI executive director Tim Roper.
“That’s money that could be better spent elsewhere and not wasted on prescribing painkillers or dandruff treatments that
people could just as easily buy without a prescription at the pharmacy or supermarket.”
Mr Roper points to the recent announcement that The National Health Committee has to find savings of $30 million this
financial year from elective procedures deemed to be of little benefit.
“Government has to be prudent in ensuring every health dollar is spent wisely so as well as looking at elective
procedures let’s look at other ways we can spend wisely.”
Current Ministry of Health [Ministry of Health September 2012. ] data shows $629.7 million provided 12.2 million GP
visits and 2.3 million nurse visits in 2011/2012.
“If even 20 percent of that could be saved it could provide a lot more heart and hip operations for our ageing
population. Kiwis need to learn that the GP does not need to be their first option for mild illnesses.
“We believe, for example, the role of pharmacists could be expanded and more medicines could be available in
supermarkets, where safety of the medicine is not seen as an issue, to reduce the reliance upon doctors who are already
overburdened. This burden will only increase as our population grows and ages.
“New Zealanders must take more responsibility for their own health. Government simply cannot sustain unchecked and
escalating health budgets without significant increases in taxation, national debt or a reduction in services, none of
which would be desirable.”
A recent Treasury model, using an historic trends scenario, estimates public health spend’s share of GDP could rise from
6.9 percent in 2009 to 10.7 percent by 2050 [NZ Treasury Working Paper 10/01 (January 2010). Challenges and Choices:
Modelling New Zealand’s Long-Term Fiscal Position. M. Bell, G. Blick, O. Parkyn, P. Rodway and P.Vowles. p.54. ].
Finance Minister Bill English was recently quoted as saying total public health spending is forecast to rise to $13.71
billion by 2017 from $13.65 billion in 2012.
A survey conducted by the British National Health Service in 2007 [IMS Health Dec. 2007 study, commissioned by PAGB.]
found that one of the largest unnecessary causes of visits was the common cold – the study found 5.2 million visits by
patients with a blocked nose. This is an ailment for which there are readily-available, non-prescription treatments.
“These studies raise the need to examine alternatives to GP consultations for minor ailments and other conditions that
can be more appropriately managed once diagnosed. We’re not saying that people shouldn’t go to their GP if they believe
they are seriously ill but we need to help them understand when they have a common problem that a pharmacy or
supermarket can help them with.”
Internationally, there is already a move towards a Self Care model as consumers become more empowered. The New Zealand
Self Medication Industry Association, along with its counterparts in other parts of the world, advocates Self Care which
can include physical exercise and sound nutrition in order to maintain good health and prevent disease, as well as using
over-the-counter (OTC) medication to treat and prevent illness, and managing one’s health after discharge from hospital.
Greater use of the pharmacist workforce to relieve the pressure on GP time for minor ailments that normally clear up by
themselves in time or with a little help from and OTC remedy, such as mild pain or coughs and colds, would further
reduce the burden of cost on the healthcare system. GPs could be freed up to provide some secondary care in their
surgeries or just to focus on more serious or chronic cases.
With better health education, electronic access to health information and appropriate labelling on OTC medicines the
pharmacist could become a first-line professional for many people. Mr Roper says pharmacists are well trained and will
refer patients they believe need to see a GP.
ends
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About SMI: The New Zealand Self-Medication Industry Association Inc (SMI) is the national trade association representing
manufacturers, marketers and distributors of a wide range of products, generally available "over-the-counter" (OTC) and
mainly for use in self-medication by New Zealand consumers. SMI’s mission is to promote better health through
responsible self-care. This means ensuring that safe and effective self-care products are readily available to all New
Zealanders at a reasonable cost. SMI works to encourage responsible use by consumers and an increasing role for
cost-effective self-medication products as part of the broad national health strategy.
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