Drugs, Devices, and Diagnostics
Latest | Media coverage | Commentary | Academic Literature | Legislation | 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
Prescription for change: New Medical Products Bill expected
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.
Puberty blocker use in New Zealand far higher than similar countries – study
New Zealand is prescribing up to seven times more puberty blockers to young transgender patients than other similar countries, new analysis shows.
Plunket vax talks ‘ongoing’
Details of how and when Plunket nurses will step into providing childhood immunisations are still being finalised, say Plunket and Te Whatu Ora leaders.
Commentary
HE PĀNUI WHAKAHAU A TE MANA WHAKAHAERE KAIWHAKAWĀ D STONE MEMORANDUM-DIRECTIONS OF PRESIDING OFFICER JUDGE D STONE
This memorandum-direction addresses material relevant to the Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry (Wai 2575).
Healthy Families NZ – a decade of impact
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora’s Healthy Families NZ is marking ten years of impact with the release of an impact report ‘Reshaping our systems for a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand’.
Ministry of Health Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2024
The Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2024 sets out who we are and what we do, how we manage our business, our financial statements and statement of service performance as specified in Vote Health – Main Estimates of Appropriation 2023/24 and (where updated) in Vote Health – Supplementary Estimates of Appropriation 2023/24.
Academic Literature
Use of puberty-blocking hormones for gender dysphoria in New Zealand: descriptive analysis and international comparisons
The high rate of prescribing for probable gender dysphoria in New Zealand, and the decline after 2021, require further investigation.
Equity in national healthcare economic evaluation guidelines: Essential or extraneous?
Equity is given less attention than efficiency in HEE guidelines. This indicates that HTA agencies while subscribing to an extra-welfarist approach have a narrow evaluative space – focusing on maximising health and not considering the opportunity cost of the equity constraint.
New Zealand expands cancer treatment with funding boost
New Zealand's coalition government has announced an expansion in funding for cancer treatments, enabling Pharmac (Wellington, New Zealand), the country's drug-buying agency, to introduce 26 new cancer treatments as a part of the 54 new medicines package.
Legislation and Parliament
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.
Reports and Government Documents
Gene technology regulation
Gene technology (also known as genetic engineering or genetic modification) has been used in New Zealand for a long time. The updated rules intend to support our scientists in using gene technologies to make advancements in healthcare and climate change, protect our unique environment, lift our agricultural productivity, and boost exports.
Update on cancer drug Keytruda access
Health New Zealand is moving forward implementation planning to ensure a small group of cancer patients can take advantage of free early access to the drug Keytruda shortly ahead of Pharmac starting to fund the medication.
Streamlining the medicines approval process
Streamlining the medicines approval process
Key issues
HEALTH SERVICES AND SYSTEMS
EQUITY
DRUGS, DEVICE AND DIAGNOSTICS
PUBLIC HEALTH
DIGITAL HEALTH
TE TIRITI