Some patients and advocacy groups see Pharmac as "slow to respond", "highly defensive" and "lacking respect" for them, according to an independent report released by the drug-funding agency today.

Associate Health Minister David Seymour has today welcomed the publication of Pharmac’s Consumer Engagement Workshop Report.

The government has announced plans to lower the age for free bowel cancer screening for all New Zealanders by "redirecting" money previously set aside to lower the age for Māori and Pacific people.

The body representing New Zealand natural product manufacturers says the lack of modern regulation for the sector means New Zealand companies continue to struggle to compete on the world stage.

The Government has recently announced its plan to modernise the regulation of medicines and medical devices by replacing the Medicines Act 1981 with a new Medical Products Bill (Bill). It has also decided that natural health products would be regulated under a standalone bill, yet to be developed.

New Zealand is prescribing up to seven times more puberty blockers to young transgender patients than other similar countries, new analysis shows.

Details of how and when Plunket nurses will step into providing childhood immunisations are still being finalised, say Plunket and Te Whatu Ora leaders.

Thousands of New Zealanders are failing to get proper screening for bowel cancer.

Pharmac is proposing to widen access to a medicine used in the treatment of chronic heart failure.