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
Diabetics could be at risk with new 12-month prescriptions
Twelve-month prescriptions could put diabetics and other patients with long-term conditions at serious risk, warn GPs and specialists.
Pharmacist highlights problems with one year medicine prescriptions
A surprise Budget announcement about prescriptions has left one pharmacist perplexed.
Budget 2025: Kiwis to get 12-month medicine prescriptions
Kiwis will soon be able to get 12-month prescriptions for medicines, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister David Seymour revealed as part of today’s Budget.
Commentary
Taitokerau Rautaki Hauora 2040
Taitokerau Rautaki Hauora 2040 is a strategy and plan document collaborated with communities, whānau, hapū, iwi, Ngāi Māori and health workers.
Health NZ releases five further change decisions
The changes announced today are part of Health NZ’s ongoing effort to moving toward a sustainable future for New Zealand healthcare and ensure our resources and people are organised in the best way to support care being delivered closer to the patient.
Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Health January 2025
Following a change of Minister, the Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora, produces a Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Health, as is usual practice.
Academic Literature
Societal Versus Healthcare Perspectives on the Cost Effectiveness of Ocrelizumab for Treatment of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in Aotearoa New Zealand
Treatment of PPMS with OCR is more cost effective from a societal than a healthcare perspective, therefore prioritisation of public funding of novel pharmaceuticals for MS and other resource intensive chronic health conditions will depend critically upon the study perspective.
The development of a discrete choice experiment: Investigating pharmacy selection in New Zealand
Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) provide a method for understanding preferences for service provision and there have been limited applications to the selection of community pharmacies. The validity and accuracy of DCEs rely upon the attributes and levels used. This paper aims to describe the development of a DCE investigating New Zealanders preferences for community pharmacies.
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.
Legislation and Parliament
Medicines Amendment Bill
The purpose of this bill is to increase patients' access to medicines by reducing some of the barriers to access currently in the Medicines Act 1981.
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
Cabinet and briefing material: Medicines Amendment Bill: Approval for Introduction
These documents have been proactively released by the Ministry of Health on behalf of the Associate Minister of Health, Hon David Seymour.
Cabinet and briefing material: Introducing a verification pathway for medicines approvals
These documents have been proactively released by the Ministry of Health on behalf of the Associate Minister of Health, Hon David Seymour.
12-month prescriptions put money in patients’ pockets
New Zealanders will soon be able to receive 12-month prescriptions for their medicines, delivering savings to patients on long-term medications, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister David Seymour say.
Key issues
HEALTH SERVICES AND SYSTEMS
EQUITY
DRUGS, DEVICE AND DIAGNOSTICS
PUBLIC HEALTH
DIGITAL HEALTH
TE TIRITI







