RMI

Mood for change in access and funding policies

The Researched Medicines Association is delighted with the rising level of support in the community for positive change to New Zealand's access to medicines and funding policies.

"The establishment of the Access to Medicines Group by a large number of patient representative groups is only one of several signs that change is not only demanded, but is necessary. The message is clear, New Zealanders should have similar access to necessary drugs as do citizens in other first world countries," Dr Pippa MacKay, Chair of the RMI said.

"The prestigious New Zealand Medical Journal has been featuring a special series to raise awareness of the issues facing patients and PHARMAC through academic-based articles from leaders of the medical profession in New Zealand. This series is likely to continue for some months. Each article looks at a specific area of practice where conditions and illnesses could be better treated given access to the appropriate medicines.

"The series' value lies in its independence and expert comment on the problems our access and funding model faces and it shows very starkly how reforms are urgently needed," she said.

"The new-look Parliament adds to the chorus for reform with Peter Dunne's work on his medicines strategy and the drawing of ACT MP Heather Roy's bill to remove PHARMAC's exemption from Part 2 of the Commerce Act from the ballot. There is also enthusiastic support from other opposition parties on the issues."

Pippa MacKay provided an example of how bad things have become in New Zealand when she said "Late last year official statistics were released showing that only nine new pharmaceuticals were listed on the PHARMAC schedule during the year, compared with 15 the previous year and a miserable three in the year prior to that."

"Yet we know that in the 18 months to May 2005 the Australian equivalent, the PBS, added 300 new brands, of which 38 were new drug substances never listed before.

PHARMAC claims questioned The RMI questions the ongoing claims by PHARMAC that 80 percent of medicines are subsidised in New Zealand. Dr Pippa MacKay said that in the last five years Medsafe has approved 128 different prescription medicines for sale in New Zealand. "But, of this 128, only 54 were approved by PHARMAC for subsidy," she said. IMS data for sales into retail pharmacy for the year ending June 30 2005 confirm that the total non-hospital combined (prescription and over the counter) market has a gross value of $847 million. PHARMAC's community schedule spend for 2004/05 was $564.6 million which represents only 66% of the total market. "It is hard to see how the claim made by PHARMAC can be substantiated," she said.

Number of Pharmaceuticals - Australian PBS vs PHARMAC Schedule
Sources: Australian Department of Health and Ageing (number of drugs on PBS), Annual Report 2004/05. PHARMAC Schedule (number of pharmaceuticals on schedule), August 2005
Suggested Reading See the RMI's Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Health. Click here Pharmaceutical companies are the world's most ethical, says a Swiss study. To see the results of a new and independendent survey of international businesses in a January media release, Click here

Clinical trial information online

Doctors, patients and their families can now access the most complete information on current clinical trials of drugs and vaccines on the Internet.

The first international clinical trials web portal was launched in September by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.

It is the first Internet search engine constructed specifically to link to on-line information made available by the innovative pharmaceutical industry about clinical trials worldwide.

The portal allows searches for listings (registries) of on-going clinical trials, providing access to basic information such as title, description (in lay terms), trial phase, trial type, status and purpose (treatment/ diagnosis/ prevention), the intervention type (e.g. drug or vaccine), condition or disease, key eligibility criteria (including gender and age), location of trial and contact information.

"This puts a useful information gathering resource into the hands of patients and their carers as quickly as possible and addresses concerns regarding the publication and access to clinical trials," Dr Pippa MacKay commented.

www.ifpma.org/clinicaltrials.html

This newsletter is published on behalf of the
Researched Medicines Industry Association of New Zealand
The views and opinions expressed in this publication
are not necessarily those of the RMI.

For further information:
The Researched Medicines Industry Association Inc
PO Box 10447 Wellington
Phone 04 499 4277

www.rmianz.co.nz

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