New Zealanders happy to pay up to $9 for prescriptions
Most people would be comfortable paying between $5 and $9 for prescription items, Medicines NZ says.
New Zealanders would be comfortable paying between $5 and $9 for prescription items, Medicines NZ says.
Research commissioned by Medicines NZ in 2010 from Colmar Brunton showed the pre-Budget announcement of an increase from $3 to $5 “sits well” within the realms of an acceptable increase.
Health minister Tony Ryall yesterday defended the increase, denying it is a cut to frontline services.
New Zealanders will now pay $3 per prescription item up to a maximum of 20 items a family a year, after which there is no charge.
This rises to $5 per item on January 1 next year, up to the annual 20-item maximum.
The increase is expected to generate an additional $20 million saving to be reinvested in the health sector in the first year and $40m in subsequent years.
Medicines NZ is hopeful some of the additional money raised will go towards funding innovative medicines, which are not currently accessible to New Zealanders. However Mr Ryall says the additional income from the prescription hike will go towards “more front line services”.
Medicines NZ general manager Kevin Sheehy says one way the cost of new medicine development can be mitigated is by linking prescription charges to inflation.
“The current practise of funding older medicines comes at the expense of not being able to fund the newer, innovative medicines that help save and improve peoples’ quality of life,” he says.
Next week's Budget will provide an additional $101m of extra funding over the next four years for elective operations, scans and improved cancer services.
“These initiatives are important to ensure patient safety and outcomes are improved,” Mr Sheehy says.
Melody Brandon
Wed, 16 May 2012
Wed, 16 May 2012
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New Zealanders happy to pay up to $9 for prescriptions
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