Pharmac's getting a billions of dollars boost to fund more medicines for Kiwis, but advocates say "it doesn't go far enough".
Associate Health Minister David Seymour on Monday announced Pharmac was getting a funding boost of $1.7 billion over the next four years, increasing it's overall budget to almost $6.3 billion.
However, some advocates say it doesn't even scratch the surface of what's needed.
Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman Malcolm Mulholland - who lost his wife, Wiki, to breast cancer in November 2021, then faced his own recent prostate cancer diagnosis - is among them.
"For whatever reason the previous Government made a decision to essentially cut off the funding so the incoming Government was left with this massive hole that they had to fill," Mulholland told AM on Tuesday.
"I do also accept that the level of funding given is significant - I don't think you can say otherwise - but it still doesn't go far enough when it comes to the funding of new medicines that patients desperately need."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon earlier appeared on AM and indicated more funding for health in the upcoming May 30 budget.
Host Melissa Chan-Green asked Mulholland what his message to the PM was.
"Stop making medicines New Zealand health's poor cousin," he said, highlighting how far behind New Zealand was on funding medicines compared to comparable nations.
"On average in terms of OECD spend we're actually above average when it comes to our expenditure on health but we're way below in terms of the OECD average on our spend on medicines.
"So I don't necessarily know if it's a matter of needing to find the money, but more a case of reallocating it and that was certainly the plea that we made yesterday [at the inaugural national medicines summit at Parliament]."
Mulholland wasn't aware of Seymour's announcement ahead of Monday but said while it was comforting for those patients who learned they'll continue to receive the medicines they're on right now, some weren't so fortunate.
"What it does mean is those patients who are waiting on those drugs that are on Pharmac's waiting list are still none closer towards getting them."
Mulholland said it's estimated about 500,000 people in New Zealand were currently going without medicines or the best-in-class medicines.
"So it's a significant portion of the population," he said.
The funding announcement comes after it was announced on Sunday that former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett would become Pharmac's new board chair.
Mulholland said Bennett was well-received by advocates at the summit on Monday.
He also credited her as "one of the more engaged politicians" during her time as a National MP.
"Ultimately we've got to wait and see how everything pans out but I think it was a good step just turning up yesterday and hearing the concerns of different stakeholders."
