Access to drugs under review

Photo / Herald on Sunday

More people with rare conditions may get drugs that are not usually publicly funded under a review of the way Government drug agency Pharmac makes those decisions.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said Pharmac-administered "exceptional circumstances" schemes would be reviewed to provide better access to medicines.

Exceptional circumstances schemes allow people whose health needs are not met through the usual medicines funding to get the drugs they need. These can include people with rare conditions or for whom standard treatments are unsuitable.

The three schemes - community, hospital and cancer exceptional circumstances - get more than 3000 applications each year.

Under the community scheme is a requirement that a condition must have 10 or fewer people affected. Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said the review would look at such "arbitrary barriers".

- NZPA