Pressure grows for Health Minister Andrew Little to release final Pharmac review report

Pressure is growing for Health Minister Andrew Little to release the final report he received from a review of Pharmac which has been with him since February 28.

Last year MPs saw hundreds of people lay down in the rain on the grounds of Parliament, begging for a review into Pharmac and a funding boost.

The review conducted by The Independent Pharmac Review Panel is complete and has been at the hands of Minister Little for months.

Myeloma New Zealand CEO Dr Ken Romeril is "extremely disappointed and annoyed".

"Why is it not being released, are there things in there they aren't particularly happy about?" he asked.

Little told Newshub the report hasn't made it to Cabinet yet.

"The report along with the Government's response to it is due to go to Cabinet shortly and they both will be released."

The damning interim report released in December found Pharmac was too focussed on saving money, rather than saving lives - coming as no surprise to many.

"We've been waiting six years for some of these drugs. Australia has four or five of them funded ahead of us, so we're falling more and more behind," Romeril said.

Pharmac declined Newshub's requisition for an interview, instead referred us to the Minister.

Little said the report has 33 recommendations, and while he said it will be made public soon, he wouldn't put a date on it.

"So in a matter of weeks not months."

All eyes are firmly on Budget 2022 which is released next Thursday, with high hopes it'll include a decent funding boost for Pharmac.