Schedule Rule Changes Will Improve Continuity Of Cancer Care

Pharmac is proposing a change to the Pharmaceutical Schedule rules, which if agreed, would give New Zealanders with cancer greater continuity of care.

Pharmac is consulting on a proposal to amend the rules of the Pharmaceutical Schedule, following the Government’s decision to enable access to new publicly funded cancer medicines in private hospitals and clinics from 1 August 2025.

“When Pharmac funds a new cancer medicine, there may be some people who have already started this treatment in a private health care facility. Currently, if this person wants their cancer medicine funded, they need to transition back into the public system during their treatment,” Director Strategy, Policy and Performance Michael Johnson says.

Johnson says that the rule change Pharmac is consulting on will enable public hospitals to supply medicines to eligible private facilities and claim a subsidy from Pharmac in the same way as they do for medicines delivered within a public hospital.

If approved, from 1 August 2025, public hospitals would be able to supply newly funded cancer medicines (those where funding begins on or after 1 August 2025) to private facilities to administer to their patients, where either:

the person is already receiving treatment at the date that their medicine becomes funded by Pharmac, or the person has an approved treatment plan, and is about to start treatment, at the date that the medicine becomes funded by Pharmac.

Funded medicine could be supplied to a private facility for the remainder of a person’s treatment course, for up to 12 months.

“Your input is valuable and helps us make better decisions. Let us know what you think by 13 June,” Johnson says.

Consultation on this proposal opens today and closes on 13 June. All feedback received before the closing date will be considered prior to making a decision on this proposal. Feedback can be emailed to consult@pharmac.govt.nz

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