Finally, the Government admits the TPPA will push up medicine costs
“Finally, we get an admission from the Government that medicine costs will rise under the secret Trans Pacific
Partnership Agreement (TPPA),” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
(ASMS).
He was commenting on Radio New Zealand reports that Prime Minister John Key has conceded New Zealand will have to pay
more for some medicines under the TPPA, while adamant that patients will not be disadvantaged: (http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/279879/tpp-key-admits-medicine-costs-will-rise).
“This admission – the first of its kind - is long overdue and confirms the fears of ASMS and other organisations that
drug prices would go up,” says Mr Powell.
“The Prime Minister’s quick to reject any suggestion that any increase in costs will be passed onto patients but the
reality is that it will impose extra costs on an already cash-strapped health system that is struggling to make ends
meet. Of course it will have an effect, and patients will suffer when the health system has to absorb even more expense
as a result.”
ASMS and a raft of other health organisations have called repeatedly on the Government to conduct a formal independent
assessment of the impact on health of the TPPA, and Mr Powell again urged the Government to do this.
“This whole process has been shrouded in secrecy and that’s not good enough when the deal being cobbled together is
clearly going to have far-reaching consequences for New Zealand and our central medicines-buying agency, Pharmac.
“New Zealanders need greater transparency about the pros and cons of a deal like this, and the Government needs to
listen to the concerns that have been raised again and again, before it’s too late.”
ENDS