NZA public health professor has called for increased drug funding in New Zealand, arguing that the country spends significantly less on pharmaceuticals compared to Australia. The report highlights that New Zealand allocates 4.9% of its health budget to drugs, while Australia spends 12.2%. Three major drug companies, AbbVie, GSK, and Roche, provided expertise for the study, though the findings are attributed to BERL consultancy. Robin Gauld of Bond University emphasizes that New Zealand lacks access to modern medications, particularly for cancer and rare diseases, and suggests higher spending could improve outcomes. He notes that New Zealand pays about half the price of Australia for common drugs due to Pharmac's negotiation power. Pharmac's director acknowledges the report but states that funding decisions are made by the government. Gauld criticizes the healthcare system as underfunded and compares the backlog of untreated patients to neglected infrastructure, calling it a political scandal.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the issue as a systemic failure of political leadership, emphasizing the underinvestment in healthcare and criticizing successive governments across parties. It highlights disparities in drug access and healthcare quality, using strong language like 'political scandal' and 'unwont
