PRESS RELEASE : THE PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND
26 May 2016
The Pharmaceutical Society is delighted to see an extra $2.2B of Health funding over the next four years in the Budget
announced this afternoon by Finance Minister the Hon Bill English.
“There is much to be done to implement the Government’s new Health Strategy of which the Pharmacy Action Plan is an
integral part” says President Graeme Smith. “There will undoubtedly need to be some investment in services” .The
Pharmacy Action Plan is due to be launched by Hon Jonathon Coleman, Minister of Health, in the near future.
The Society says it is especially pleasing to see a further $124M for Pharmac to improve access of New Zealanders to new
medicines, an extra $73M for Primary Care and $12M for Mental Health. “These are all areas in which pharmacy is
intimately involved and areas where pharmacy has the potential to contribute more to improve health outcomes for New
Zealanders” says Mr Smith.
Mr Smith says the Pharmaceutical Society looks forward to working with other members of the primary care sector over the
coming months to deliver the goals outlined in the new Health Strategy.
ENDS