Drugs, Devices, and Diagnostics
Latest | Media coverage | Legislation | Academic Literature | Reports and Government Documents
Covering prescription medicines and medical devices, which includes instruments, implants, scans and tests, as well as screening and health promoting interventions.
Latest
Media coverage
Budget 2024: Open letter from 16 NZ cancer charities to Christopher Luxon, Nicola Willis, and David Seymour
NZ Herald. Dear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister of Finance Nichola Willis, and Associate Minister of Health (Pharmac) David Seymour. In August last year a promise was made to fund 13 new cancer medicines via a $280 million ring-fenced fund to Pharmac....
Budget 2024: $5 prescription fee back in weeks – with some exceptions
One News. The Government has confirmed universal free prescriptions will be axed in July with the $5 co-payment restored for most New Zealanders. However, prescriptions will stay free for people with Community Services Cards, people under 14, and people aged 65 and...
Prescription fees returning but little new for health in Budget
NZ Doctor. The return of the $5 prescription fee for most people is the main change for New Zealand’s health system in Budget 2024. The Coalition Government has followed through on its election campaign pledge to bring back the fee for everyone except Community...
Legislation
Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022
The purpose of this Act is to provide for the public funding and provision of services in order to—
(a) protect, promote, and improve the health of all New Zealanders; and
(b) achieve equity in health outcomes among New Zealand’s population groups, including by striving to eliminate health disparities, in particular for Māori; and
(c) build towards pae ora (healthy futures) for all New Zealanders.
Academic Literature
Consequences of cost barriers to prescriptions: cohort study in Aotearoa New Zealand
Jeffreys et al. People who faced a cost barrier were 34% (hazard ratio 1.34; 95% CI 1.29-1.39) more likely to be admitted to hospital than those who did not. Read...
Accessing diagnosis and treatment: The experience of cancer as wrangling with the system
Dew et al. We argue that for most people with long-term cancer survival wrangling is a social practice, but the capacity to succeed in that practice is dependent on a range of factors, including levels of economic, cultural, and social capital. Read...
The Drug Burden Index and Level of Frailty as Determinants of Healthcare Costs in a Cohort of Older Frail Adults in New Zealand
Consistent with existing literature, we find that the level of frailty is significantly associated with the cost of healthcare. However, we find no association between drug burden and nonpharmaceutical/overall healthcare costs.
Reports and Government Documents
Sector Cyber security strategy and roadmap
Ministry of Health 2023. The health sector in New Zealand is a critical sector, with multiple interests, especially in the cyber security unit. Read...
Interim Government Policy Statement Measures Snapshot Report 2022/23
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health – Manatū Hauora has developed a snapshot report to monitor the progress the health system is making on delivery against the Interim Government Policy Statement on Health 2022–2024 (iGPS). The iGPS set the...
Life since the pandemic: How the COVID-19 pandemic experience has shaped public attitudes and beliefs on public health, infectious disease and vaccination
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health. In June 2023, the Public Health Agency, within the Ministry of Health, commissioned research and evaluation agency Verian to undertake a series of research projects and population surveys into attitudes and behaviours related to...
Key issues
HEALTH SERVICES AND SYSTEMS
EQUITY
DRUGS, DEVICE AND DIAGNOSTICS
PUBLIC HEALTH
DIGITAL HEALTH
TE TIRITI