Compared to our Aussie cousins, Kiwi patients are denied access to innovative medicines. In the past 12 months, Australia listed 17 new medicines on their pharmaceutical schedule and New Zealand listed just one.

“New Zealanders are getting less than 13% of the new medicines that their Australian equivalents can obtain according to a new 2015 study just published in the Australian Health Review”, Medicines New Zealand General Manager Dr Graeme Jarvis said.

The study, which is an update of a previous study, shows from 2009-2014 that 88% of new medicines available in Australia were still not available in New Zealand. Almost 10% of these medicines are for diseases for which there is no current treatment available in New Zealand.

For more details, go to: http://www.medicinesnz.co.nz/media-releases/