The Government’s long overdue inquiry into PHARMAC is light on detail and several years late, National’s Health
spokesperson Dr Shane Reti says.
“National would have liked to have seen a much more comprehensive inquiry.
“A key concern from New Zealanders will be that the budget allocation to PHARMAC will be excluded from the review. So
will access to products funded overseas but not in New Zealand.
“It is pleasing to see a disabled voice at the table, but overall the patient voice seems light and there is no
pharmaceutical industry representative.
“There is also no indication that PHARMAC will benchmark itself against overseas best practice and there is no specific
commentary around rare disorders or rapid access schemes.
“The terms of reference clearly need tightening up.
“The Minister of health doesn’t expect to see a final report until December. If the Government had only supported
National’s calls for an inquiry three years ago then not only would it have been completed by now, but any
recommendations could be implemented.
“For three years National has been pushing an inquiry into PHARMAC, but it wasn’t until the Prime Minister came under
pressure from Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins and the New Zealand public did she finally bow and agree to an
inquiry.
“If Labour hadn’t engaged in partisan politics a comprehensive inquiry could have been completed by now, with any
recommendations implemented and New Zealanders’ confidence in our medicine buying company restored.”