Breast Cancer Foundation NZ responds to Pharmac funding announcement

Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said: “While we welcome the Government’s commitment to ensuring all of the medicines New Zealanders can already access will continue to be funded, today’s announcement sadly doesn’t even touch on the broader problem of Kiwis being denied new, modern drugs.

“The $1.774 billion investment won’t cover the 13 new cancer drugs National promised it would fund, or any other new treatment on Pharmac’s Options for Investment list.

“There is still an urgent need to significantly increase Pharmac’s funding and we really hope to see this addressed in the Government’s Budget next month. Because right now, there are breast cancer patients who are having to fundraise tens of thousands of dollars for drugs to save and extend their lives, or go simply go without.”