Why 'The Medicine Gap'?

Many New Zealanders who try to effect change by advocating for help or medicines support from Pharmac or the Government do so at a very vulnerable time in their lives.

They, or their loved ones are often ill or trying to come to terms with a life-threatening or terminal diagnosis. Often, they are lone voices calling for change or help. Always, it is a David versus Goliath battle.

The Medicine Gap is helping to provide a collective voice to the thousands and thousands of New Zealanders who need help to stay well or to stay alive.

It is our hope that every New Zealander understands the medicines predicament we are in and will join our call to provide First World access to modern medicines for New Zealanders.

In the last two years alone, New Zealanders have submitted 24 petitions to Parliament amassing over 400,000 signatures, all seeking funding for a broad spectrum of life-transforming or life-saving drugs.

Petitions
Signatures
New Zealand
Petitions
24
Signatures
400k
Petitions
24
New Zealand
Signatures
400k
New Zealand

Evidence of a Broken System

New Zealand sits at the bottom of the developed world for access to modern medicines.

4 years 7 months:
the average time an approved drug sits on the waitlist.

Our medicines budget has not kept up with some of the major developments in modern medicines, and for more than a decade successive Governments have underfunded Pharmac, the agency responsible for buying medicines for New Zealanders.

Almost 100 medicines approved for funding by MedSafe are languishing on a waiting list including modern medicines to treat mental health, cancer, diabetes, cardiac conditions, rare disorders, Crohn’s disease and arthritis.

In the last two years alone, New Zealanders have submitted 24 petitions to Parliament amassing over 400,000 signatures, seeking funding for a broad spectrum of lifesaving, life-transforming, or life-extending drugs.

On the Givealittle platform, hundreds of New Zealanders are now fundraising for drugs to either keep them alive or ease their suffering.

Our pharmaceutical budget has not kept pace with population growth, advances in pharmaceutical science and technology, or inflation and New Zealand is falling further and further behind.

New Zealand now sits at the bottom of the OECD for ‘per capita spend’ on medicines, behind countries like Latvia and Colombia.

Of the 403 modern medicines made available between 2011-2018, only 6% were publicly funded in New Zealand.

Funded Modern Medicines
Funded Cancer Medicines
Australia
Funded Modern Medicines
130
Funded Cancer Medicines
33
New Zealand
Funded Modern Medicines
41
Funded Cancer Medicines
7
Funded Modern Medicines
130
Australia
41
New Zealand
Funded Cancer Medicines
33
Australia
7
New Zealand

Breast Cancer

16 vs 32

The median survival rate for advanced breast cancer in New Zealand is 16 months. Globally, the rate is 32+ months.

Diabetes

20%

Between 2011 and 2018, 34 modern medicines were launched to treat diabetes. New Zealand didn’t fund one. This year, in 2021, two new medicines have been funded but only for an estimated 50,000 people (20%). There are currently 250,000 New Zealanders with diabetes including 1 in 9 Pacific Islanders, and 1 in 9 Indo-Asians.

Rare Diseases

1 in 17

1 in 17 New Zealanders live with a rare disease (almost 300,000 of us). Of the 36 new medicines launched in the OECD, New Zealand funded two.

Arthritis

None

670,000 New Zealanders have arthritis and that is expected to rise to one million by 2040. Between 2011 and 2018, New Zealand did not fund any of the modern medicines that other countries publicly funded. In 2018, the economic value of lost wellbeing due to arthritis was estimated to be $7.9 billion.

Modern Medicines

100+

More than 100 medicines approved for funding by MedSafe remain on Pharmac’s waiting list including 6 drugs to treat mental health, 17 cancer treatments, and 11 diabetes medicines.

...but hang on a minute….

Isn’t there a Pharmac Review underway right now?

Yes, there is. However, when the Government set the terms of reference for the Pharmac Review, it excluded funding. That means the Review Panel won’t consider if the level of funding is appropriate to meet the needs of New Zealanders, or if Pharmac is in a position to respond to rapid developments in modern medicine.

The Review is costing taxpayers over $1m. You, dear reader, can decide if that is money well spent.