Prescription for change: New Medical Products Bill expected

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30 Oct 2024

Russell McVeagh

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. These announcements are a further key step in implementing the coalition agreements’ commitments to replace the current outdated legislation for medicines and medical devices, and to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act 2023 (TPA), which was considered to be too heavy handed for some products.

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Lived experience of affordability as a barrier to prescription medicines: A longitudinal qualitative study

Lived experience of affordability as a barrier to prescription medicines: A longitudinal qualitative study

Exploring lived experience provides insights into the multiple ways that lack of affordability prevents access to medicines: directly, through interaction with other barriers to access including transport, by damaging trust and reducing acceptability of services, and by making participants less able to deal with mistakes made by health professionals.

Key issues

HEALTH SERVICES AND SYSTEMS

Covering developments in the provision, funding and organisation of health care services.

EQUITY

Exploring the impacts of the health system on minorities within the population, notably including Māori, Pacifica, Asians and LGBTQI.

DRUGS, DEVICE AND DIAGNOSTICS

Covering prescription medicines and medical devices.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Focusing on efforts to promote health and prevent disease through social and economic interventions.

DIGITAL HEALTH

Exploring the potential digital transformation to provide a more connected and accessible health system.

TE TIRITI

Monitoring how the health reforms and the performance of the health sector uphold Te Tiriti obligations.